Peruvian President Pedro Castillo’s sister-in-law, Yenifer Paredes, 26, appeared on Tuesday before a judge who will decide whether to send her to custody for 36 monthsaccused of integrating a corruption network allegedly led by the president who granted public works contracts and money laundering.

After 11 hours of discussions between the prosecutor and the defense, Judge Johnny Gómez Balboa, of the Third National Investigative Preparatory Court, suspended the hearing and announced that will resume this Wednesday from 10 (local time).

“I am always available to the authorities, but I want to continue with my life“, expressed Paredes, who regretted having earned a degree in business administration and not having been able to attend the degree last Friday because it was detained.

The president’s sister-in-law, who remains in preliminary jail in a Lima police station Since August 10, she has appeared dressed in a black jacket and a chinstrap of the same color.

“We have a criminal organization led by the President of the Republic,” said the prosecutor Jorge García Juárez in justifying the request for pre-trial detention and argued that Paredes “he is part of this crime network as a lobbyist or coordinator“.

Paredes’ lawyer, José Dionicio Quesnay, denied the accusations, saying that “unfortunately” the prosecution had revealed “a good story of an alleged crime”. without providing evidence.

During the first hours of the hearing, supporters of the government and the opposition demonstrated in front of the courthouse in the center of Lima, isolated by the police. “Freedom for Yenifer” read on an official banner, while the opponents sang: “The thief has already fallen!”

Also under investigation in this case is José Nenil Medina, mayor of Anguía, a town in the northern region of Cajamarca, from which the Castillo family comes.

For its part, the president faces six prosecution investigations, something unprecedented for a president in office in Peru. However, he cannot be tried until his term expires in July 2026.

Peru: sixth investigation against President Pedro Castillo

The Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday 11 August that it will launch a new preliminary investigation against President Pedro Castillo and his Transport Minister for alleged crime of criminal organization. This is the sixth investigation against the president.

In his official report, the prosecutor indicated that the new investigation, which includes Minister Geiner Alvarado, who was previously in charge of the housing ministry, will be led by Attorney General Patricia Benavides.

The subject of the investigation is the award of public works in two provincesone in the province of Chota, in the region of Cajamarca, from which Castillo comes, and another in Cajatambo, in the region of Lima.

According to the tax thesis, Alvarado coordinated, to the knowledge of the president, the assignment of infrastructural works to Castillo’s acquaintance company, illegallyand, specifically, to a company where the head of state’s sister-in-law, Yenifer Paredes, who was arrested Wednesday in Lima, worked.

With the new investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office, the ruler accumulates six complaintsfive of them for alleged corruption, allegedly committed during his rule, which began in July 2021.

With information from EFE.

IT