Versión Español
EspañolA Peruvian judge ruled that former President Alejandro Toledo and wife Eliane Karp should stay in prison for 18 months while prosecutors prepare criminal charges against them — but the couple has no plans on complying.
Toledo, who served as President of Peru between 2001 and 2006, is facing accusations in the Ecoteva and Odebrecht cases, but he and his wife still remain on the run, refusing to return to Peru to be persecuted by the “mafia” running the court systems there.
A Peruvian court found that the offshore company Ecoteva Consulting Group was created to launder money to Toledo.
The former head of state allegedly carried out real estate transactions worth millions of dollars using the name of his mother-in-law, Eva Fernenburg.
Toledo is also accused of accepting US $20 million in bribes from the controversial Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, which secured a contract for the Brazil-Peru Interoceanic Route as a result.
- Read More: Russian State Media Warns of “Nuclear Implications” if US Doesn’t Behave in Syria
- Read More: Behind Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El-Aissami’s Drug Trafficking Activities
“We are up against a persecution of Alejandro Toledo,” his former lawyer Heriberto Benitez said after the 18-month ruling was announced. “Obviously, according to the law, we must file an appeal for a second instance to assess the facts and hopefully repeal this measure, because you cannot allow two prison sentences for the same crime. That is unconstitutional.”
The former president moved to California after the first pre-trial detention order handed out against him.
President of the Judiciary Duberlí Rodríguez has urged US courts to cooperate with the petition filed on February 14 that would extradite a treaty signed with Peru. However, the courts have not approved arrest warrant.
Sources: RPP Noticias; El Comercio; La República; BBC.
