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The Peruvian Public Ministry made progress in its investigation into the events of last December, when then-President Castillo announced the dissolution of Parliament, which was considered by the institutions as a coup d’état. In this context, the Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the home of Aníbal Torres looking for evidence in order to elucidate what his role was in that speech by the former president.
During the early hours of this Thursday, March 23, the Public Ministry of Peru carried out the search of the home that Aníbal Torres, former prime minister during the final period of Pedro Castillo in power, owns in the Lima town of San Isidro.
This is due to the investigation that the Prosecutor’s Office is carrying out for the events of December 7, 2022, the day in which Castillo pronounced the dissolution of Congress, the installation of an emergency Executive that would govern with decrees and an intervention in the Justice system. , which was described by the legislature and the press as a coup that did not prosper.
After the corresponding authorization granted by Supreme Judge Juan Carlos Checkley, the authorities arrived at Torres’ house around 2:00 a.m. in an incursion that lasted until after 8:00 a.m., with the intention of collecting information or evidence about the role he played in Castillo’s controversial speech.
Torres, who is accused of alleged crimes of rebellion and conspiracy, was confiscated by the Second Transitory Supreme Prosecutor for Corruption of Officials, documents and electronic assets such as laptops, telephones, and flash drives.
In addition, the lifting of the secrecy of communications and access to social networks linked to the 80-year-old former official was ordered.
The search warrant was a request from the provisional supreme prosecutor Uriel Terán. Local media open the possibility that this operation is also linked not only to the charges mentioned above, but also to those of abuse of authority and serious disturbance of public peace.
The Prosecutor’s Office requested preventive detention against Torres and Castillo in December. However, Checkley did not apply the request against the former head of the Council of Ministers due to his health conditions and his age. However, she has a restriction to leave the country for 18 months.
Torres is accused of planning the action together with the former head of state and also the former prime minister, Betssy Chávez.
?| The Second Transitory Supreme Prosecutor for Corruption of Officials searched and seized assets and documents in the property of Aníbal Torres Vásquez, in the preparatory investigation followed by the crime of rebellion and alternatively conspiracy. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/R54gVHBiyf
– Public Ministry (@FiscaliaPeru) March 23, 2023
This happens one day after the Peruvian Congress approved raising constitutional accusations against Chávez, Willy Huerta and Roberto Sánchez –formerly in charge of the Interior and Tourism, respectively-, as co-authors of the crimes of rebellion and conspiracy.
The complaint was presented by the Subcommittee on Constitutional Accusations after the charges issued by the Prosecutor’s Office. Congress decided that Chávez, currently in legislative functions, be removed from her powers while the criminal process is in force.
Unlike Chávez, Torres does not have any political proscription. In fact, on Wednesday, he expressed in an interview with Anahí Durand Guevara (former Minister of Women and Vulnerable Populations) that he did not rule out the possibility of running for president in the 2024 elections, although he clarified that “this is not decided quickly” and “You have to think about it very well.”
“We are evaluating this situation and it is not easy to make the decision, but we cannot ignore the population and, if the population wants us to work together, we will be there,” he said.
With EFE and local media
