Keiko Fujimori rejected Odebrecht’s ‘absurd’ demand to return to prison for money laundering

Peruvian presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori described as “absurd“An anti-corruption prosecutor’s request for pre-trial detention for allegedly violating judicial restrictions on the ongoing investigation for alleged money laundering.

“Most absurd of all is the reason you are asking for this change“Apparently for effective prison, said Fujimori this Thursday, during a press conference where he was accompanied by Miguel Torres placeholder image, who witnesses the case and admitted to having been close to Fujimori’s election campaign.

Precisely, the prosecutor José Domingo Pérez, member of the investigation team into the Lava Jato case in Peru, demanded that Fujimori’s appearance be revoked for meeting Torres despite the fact that he was prohibited from maintaining contact with witnesses and those involved in the ensuing investigation.

Candidate faces prosecutor’s request for more than 30 years in prison for alleged money laundering in the financing of her previous electoral campaigns, a trial which would prevent her from being elected.

Torres is a witness

While Torres previously told local media that he did not witness the investigation against Fujimori, at the press conference on Thursday, Keiko’s lawyer Giuliana Loza admitted that “is a witness to this case”.

However, the lawyer considered that the prosecutor’s request “Lack of legal and factual basis“, And said he hopes that Judge Víctor Zúñiga, in charge of the case,”declare this petition inadmissible”.

“Hopefully after notification of this request and summons, the criminal judge will declare it inadmissible, not only because it is unnecessary, but because it lacks logic,” he said.

Tax order

In the document sent to Judge Zúñiga, Prosecutor Pérez argues Fujimori broke legal rules imposed while under investigation for the crime of money laundering, such as communicating with witnesses linked to the case of alleged illicit contributions to his campaigns in 2011 and 2016.

“Defendant Fujimori Higuchi was again convicted of violating the ban on contacting witnesses.; therefore, it was noted as a public and notorious fact that he communicates with the witness Miguel Torres Morales ”, states the text.

Specifically, Pérez cited the conference held on Wednesday, in which lawyer Torres was introduced as the political spokesperson for the Fuerza Popular corporation.

Fujimori and Torres were together at the same table as the candidate’s party called on election officials to overturn 802 ballots, which represent some 200,000 votes, on charges of irregularities and “table fraud” in the election. of the presidential election held last Sunday. .

Relationship to elections

In response, Fujimori assured that prosecutor Pérez is looking for “continue to be the protagonist of this electoral campaign», In which he awaits the results of the second presidential round which he disputed with the leftist Pedro Castillo, who is leading the vote.

Specifically, she argued that Pérez made this request after presenting Torres as one of those responsible for the request she made to overturn some 200,000 votes that are considered in favor of Castillo.

However, he assured that his party, Popular Force, will “respect the popular will“And ratified his own”absolute respect for the electoral bodies”.

“There is a clear intention here to separate ourselves from Miki (Miguel Torres), to distract us, to disrupt this process, which are the final tally of a very important election… this request is not going to distract our attention at all, he noticed.

The candidate finally declared that she “trusted” the judiciary and had “no fear” that the request for her return to prison would be successful.

Attempt to intimidate

Torres said, for his part, that he shares “outrage“Before this request and that”It is not a happy situation to think that due to the presence of yourself, a friend and the person you support, you may lose your freedom again.”.

“It is obvious that what he is trying to do is intimidate, but if he thinks he is going to achieve it, he is wrong,” he said before confirming that his presence in Fujimori’s presidential campaign “is not from yesterday, it comes from months ago.

Torres added that he was even director, since last June, of the so-called “orange school”, a virtual classroom in which classes are given to young activists of the Popular Force party.

(With information from EFE)

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