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One day after judges in Washington, in the District of Columbia, denied a new attempt by former President Alejandro Toledo to avoid extradition, the latter kept his word and turned himself in to the authorities to respond to the Peruvian Justice. Toledo is the fifth president to face a process for corruption in the Andean nation.
The California authorities, where Toledo lived several years ago to study economics, reported that the former president turned himself in to start his extradition process to Peru.
According to information from a federal court in San José, United States, the former head of state turned himself in to the authorities around 9:15 local time (16:15 GMT), making himself available to the US marshals service. .
Former President Alejandro Toledo, accused by Lima of corruption and money laundering, turned himself in before a federal court in San José (USA) at 09:15 local time (16:15 GMT) to begin his extradition process to Peru, California authorities reported. #AFP pic.twitter.com/a6heXDVJ65
— Agence France-Presse (@AFPespanol) April 21, 2023
Toledo, who was president of the nation between 2001 and 2006, is accused in his country of corruption and money laundering, accusations related to the Odebrecht case, where he is responsible for having received millions of dollars from the Brazilian construction company in exchange tenders for public works.
In Peru, the Prosecutor’s Office that is carrying out the investigations is requesting at least 20 years in prison for the 77-year-old politician.
Toledo, from the outset, has denied the charges against him and filed several petitions to block his extradition. Peru has requested the arrest of the former president since the end of 2017.
In 2019, the former president was arrested in the state of California and spent time in prison. However, part of his arrest was carried out at his home due to the situation generated by the pandemic in March 2020.
In September 2022, the US Justice approved Toledo’s extradition to Peru and then the State Department granted it on February 21.
Prosecutor José Domingo Pérez requests participation in the transfer to Peru
After learning about the delivery of Alejandro Toledo for his extradition, the Peruvian prosecutor José Domingo Pérez, who filed the complaint against the former president for corruption, considered it a priority that members of his team participate in the transfer of the former head of state to Peru.
In a meeting with the media, Pérez reported that “at the level of the Lava Jato Special Team (of the Prosecutor’s Office), we are expecting that the authorities of the Public Ministry can inform us,” he said.
“We hope that there can be an adequate and corresponding action on the part of our entity of the Prosecutor’s Office,” Pérez added.
Pérez, filed a complaint against Toledo in a judicial hearing for the so-called Ecoteva case. This was the first investigation that was initiated in Peru, which also includes his wife and mother-in-law, and for which he is accused of money laundering.
According to prosecutor Pérez, the case corresponds to a direction of the concession process of the Interoceanic highway.
It is worth remembering that on April 20, the Peruvian Justice began the oral trial against the former president and his wife. For this case, the prosecution has requested imprisonment for 16 years and eight months.
Toledo: “I ask the Peruvian justice not to kill me in jail
After learning of the rejection of his allegations by the judges in Washington to avoid his extradition, the former Peruvian president issued a statement from his residence in California, hours before turning himself in to justice.
In his words, Toledo urged the Peruvian Justice not to allow his death in prison, statements that came shortly after his wife declared to the journalist Milagros Leiva, that the Peruvian authorities seek to “put him (Toledo) in prison and that he die and that there will never be a trial, because there will be no trial.”
After a media silence of approximately seven years, Toledo pointed out that he asks the Peruvian Justice to let him “fight with arguments.”
Toledo referred to his state of health, which he described as “very bad”, referring that “I take 14 pills a day, I have hypertension and I suffer from the remnants of cancer (…). Just respect that, they haven’t proven anything and they already want to put me in jail,” said the former president.
In addition to Toledo, four other former Peruvian presidents are facing legal proceedings for corruption: Ollanta Humala (2011-2016), Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018), Martín Vizcarra (2018-2020) and Pedro Castillo (2021-2022).
Former President Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) was convicted of corruption, in addition to crimes against humanity, and Alan García (2006-2011) committed suicide in 2019, when the police were about to arrest him on suspicion of links to the Odebrecht case. .
According to the Peruvian prosecutor’s office, the transfer of Toledo to Peru after its delivery could take place in two or three days.
With EFE, Reuters, AFP and Peruvian media.
