Peru Seeks 30 Year Sentence For Ex-Owner Of Peruvian Airlines

A Peruvian state attorney is seeking a 30 year prison sentence for businessman Cesar Cataño, the former owner of airline company Peruvian Airlines, for money laundering, newspaper El Comercio reported.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses Cataño of laundering money from drug trafficking through a number of companies. El Comercio says these companies include Kanawaga Corporation SAC, Import Export Vizcar SA, Transportes Aereos Cielos Andinos SAC and Peruvian Airlines. 

A report by the Anti-drug police finds that Cataño has been unable to account for some $663 million between 1990 and 2000. Read more…

Gov’t Accepts Resignation Of Official Connected To Illegal Mining

Peru’s government has accepted the resignation of a high-ranking government official who was linked in a media report to illegal gold mining.

Luis Zavaleta, the former director general of hydrocarbons, submitted his resignation to the Ministry of Energy and Mines on Friday, daily Peru.21 reported.

The resignation followed an investigative report published in newspaper El Comercio on the same day that said Zavaleta owned a company called Universal Metal Trading SAC.

Universal Metal Trading was founded in 1999 and describes itself as a company Read more…

Tacna To Request Closure Of Maximum Security Prison

Peru’s southern Tacna region is to ask the government to close the maximum security prison where 17 inmates escaped on Sunday, state news agency Andina reported.

Tacna’s regional cabinet will send a letter to government palace, the office of the prime minister and Congress to formally make the request.

Tacna says the Challapalca prison has caused unease among the local population, Read more…

Peru Vice President Omar Chehade Resigns

Peru’s second vice president, Omar Chehade, has resigned from his post following allegations of corruption early in President Ollanta Humala’s administration.

In his resignation letter, Chehade, who is also a congressman, said the allegations were “an unjust and excessive media and political campaign against me.”

“Despite my resignation as the second vice president of Peru, my commitment will be to continue supporting and collaborating unconditionally with the government from my position as a congressman,” Chehade said. Read more…

Former Deputy Justice Minister Sentenced for Corruption

A former deputy minister of Justice, who served during ex-President Alan Garcia’s administration, has been sentenced to a five-year prison sentence for attempting to bribe a government official.

In February, Gerardo Castro was arrested when he offered to pay $10,000 to Alejandro Rios, an advisor of Peru’s deputy fishing minister, in an attempt to extend fishing licenses for three small vessels.

Rios informed his superiors and Production minister Jorge Villasante informed Read more…

Keiko Fujimori May Seek Pardon for Father After Christmas – Report

Ex-Presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori said that her family will seek a humanitarian pardon for her father, former president Alberto Fujimori, after Christmas, daily El Comercio reported.

Keiko Fujimori, who was a member of Congress until July 2011, said that the family and its lawyers are currently gathering the necessary documentation to make the request to President Ollanta Humala.

“I imagine that it will be made during the coming weeks, but I don’t think it will be before Christmas,” Keiko Fujimori was reported saying.

Alberto Fujimori, 73, is serving a 25-year-sentence for human rights abuses in Read more…

Ipsos Apoyo Poll: 66 Percent Support Pardon for Ex-President Fujimori

Public support for President Ollanta Humala to grant a humanitarian pardon for ex-President Alberto Fujimori for health reasons is at 66 percent, according to a new national poll published by Ipsos Apoyo on Sunday.

The poll, published in daily El Comercio, found that 30 percent of respondents would not support the pardon.

Although the Justice minister Juan Jimenez has said the issue is not on the President’s agenda, and premier Oscar Valdes this past weekend denied rumours Read more…

Fujimori Lawyer: Family Not Behind Recent Pardon Request

The family of imprisoned ex-President Alberto Fujimori was not involved in a recent request to grant Fujimori a humanitarian pardon, according to Cesar Nakazaki, the president’s lawyer.

Newspaper El Comercio reported this week that Cesareo Vargas, a questionable former advisor to election authority ONPE during Fujimori’s corruption-riddled run for office in 2000, made the citizen request.

Fujimori is serving a 25-year-sentence for human rights and corruption charges dating back to his 1990 to 2000 term.

Nakazaki said the pardon request from Vargas was the third “unauthorized” citizen Read more…

Justice Minister: Fujimori Pardon Not On the Agenda

Peru’s new Justice Minister, Juan Jimenez, said Thursday that the government has not raised the issue of a possible pardon for jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori.

“We are not at this moment discussing the issue. Please take it off the agenda,” Jimenez, who was appointed to the post on Sunday during a major cabinet shuffle, told reporters.

During a televised press conference, Jimenez told reporters to “not speculate, there has not been any request for a pardon.”

Fujimori’s family has presented no request either to the President or the Read more…

Keiko Fujimori: Moment Is Coming To Request Pardon For Father

Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori, said Tuesday that she is increasingly considering requesting a pardon for her father, citing medical reports that the 73-year-old’s health is deteriorating.

“There is a medical report that indicates that he is a cancer patient, has severe depression with ups and downs, that in an accident  he hit his head, and that he has several intestinal problems,” said Keiko Fujimori, daily El Comercio reported.

She added that: “I think that the moment is coming to request a pardon.” Read more…

Next Page »