El Comercio: Judicial commmission rules against probe of attorney general

The National Magistrates Council, CNM, has decided to not open investigations against Attorney General Adelaida Bolívar over her handling of two drug trafficking investigations. The CNM’s disciplinary commission, led by Francisco Delgado, summoned Bolívar and three other prosecutors in early February to answer questions about alleged irregularities.

According to daily El Comercio, the commission found Bolívar’s actions followed the established procedures during cases brought against the Sánchez Paredes family, accused of using their businesses to launder decades-old profits from the drug trade.

Local media began questioning Bolívar’s relationship to the Sánchez Paredes family after she defended prosecutor María Milian, from Trujillo, capital of La Libertad Department, who was seen traveling in a Sánchez Paredes-owned vehicle. “The responsibility of such actions would be the sole responsibility of (Milían), and not Bolívar.” El Comercio added that the police officer who made the accusations against Milian did not appear before the commission to confirm the claim.

The commission also found no irregularities in the attorney generals insistence that prosecutor Luz Loayza return to her post in the jungle city of Iquitos, Loreto Department, where she says she faces death threats and possible reprisals from Peru’s jailed cocaine kingpin Fernando Zevallos.

Bolívar had denied Loayza’s transfer request in September 2006, a day alter the attorney general reportedly received a seven-page letter from Zevallos requesting Loayza return to Iquitos. The CNM reportedly said they found no evidence “that Bolívar had acted irregularly in the processing of the transfer request to Lima.”