The Peruvian judiciary on Sunday sentenced Yenifer Paredes, sister-in-law of Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, to at least 30 months in prison while she is investigated for alleged money laundering and criminal association.
The measure, issued by Judge Johnny Gómez, also affects the district’s mayor of Anguía, José Nenil Medina.
He is accused of having participated as an employee in the illegal awarding of construction work in the town in the province of Chota, in the region of Cajamarca.
The judge noted that the conditions for the continuation of pre-trial detention are met in both cases while the prosecutor’s office continues the investigation against them.
In this sense, he pointed out that there is a severe suspicion regarding the crimes they are accused of, the possible sentence exceeds four years in prison, and there is a risk of flight or obstruction of justice, especially due to their links with the executive branch.
Regarding the last point, he pointed out that according to the prosecutor’s report, the police were delayed in entering the government palace when they tried to arrest Paredes.
As a result, the loss of videos from the presidential palace was reported, which constitutes a “procedural threat” against him.
He also pointed out that attempts were made to prevent the dissemination of a video in which she is seen meeting with a business person and residents of a town in Chota, where she informs them of the need for a census to carry out a sewage project. However, she is not a state official.
Judge Gómez also considered that neither Yenifer Paredes nor Mayor José Medina has “good roots” such as home, family, and work, which does not guarantee that they will remain in the country during the investigation.
Although the prosecution requested 36 months of pre-trial detention against the defendants, the judge determined that this time was “not appropriate” and decided to grant them 30 months, which means their arrest will expire in February 2025.
According to the prosecution’s thesis, Yenifer Paredes is the main “lobbyist” of an alleged criminal organization coordinated by her sister, First Lady Lilia Paredes. The latter’s goal is to direct the awarding of public contracts illegally.
President Castillo, who has denied all accusations against him and his family, questioned on Sunday that the prosecutor’s office has been “fabricating” effective collaborators (a “worthwhile accusation”) for more than a year and “threatening” them so they can portray him as corrupt.