Peru’s attorney general opens sixth investigation against president for alleged corruption

Peru’s Attorney General, Patricia Benavides Vargas, opened a new preliminary investigation against President Pedro Castillo for alleged corruption, bringing to six the number of cases against the president to date.

“The prosecutor of the Nation [attorney general] ordered to open a preliminary investigation against the President of the Republic, Pedro Castillo, and Geiner Alvarado, in his capacity as Minister of Housing, for alleged crime against public tranquility, in the modality of a criminal organization,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office indicated through its Twitter account.

The reason for the investigation is an alleged irregularity in the concession and execution of public works in the localities of Chota, the department of Cajamarca (north), and Gondor, in the department of Lima (center).

Both works would have been granted to private companies in exchange for bribes through an alleged organization that would integrate the head of state and Geiner Alvarado, Minister of Housing, at the time of the facts in 2021.

The alleged criminal organization would also include Yenifer Paredes, Castillo’s sister-in-law, business people, and former officials of the current government.

It is the sixth investigation opened by the prosecutor’s office against the president, who assumed the presidency in July last year.

The head of state already has four criminal investigations by prosecutors for alleged acts of corruption committed during his term in office, in addition to another in the civil jurisdiction for an alleged crime committed in 2012.

With information from Sputnik