Peru: Barata confirms Odebrecht delivered US$1 million to Keiko Fujimori campaign

11:30 | Curitiba (Brazil), Dec. 12.

Former Odebrecht representative in Peru Jorge Barata on Thursday confirmed that he delivered US$1 million to Keiko Fujimori's 2011 presidential campaign, according to Peruvian press reports from the Brazilian city of Curitiba.

Newspapers like La Republica, El Comercio and IDL-Reporteros agree that Barata provided such confirmation during the interrogation conducted by the Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group at the Parana State Attorney General's Office.

Barata claimed the payment was made in 100-dollar bills due to the bags' size. Even though he did not count the money, he said no complaints were ever made about the delivery.

According to the media, the former Odebrecht executive affirmed that the US$200,000 given to the National Confederation of Private Business Institutions (Confiep) was intended to aid Keiko Fujimori's candidacy.

The aim, he said, was to prevent nationalist candidate Ollanta Humala (2011-2016) from winning the presidential elections.

Barata was accompanied by attorneys Luiz Gustavo, Natalia Barros, Jose Marcelo Allemant, and Ricardo Weyl.

Also present in the interrogation was Keiko Fujimori's lawyer Giuliana Loza, who spoke to the press before leaving the State Attorney General's Office, saying that Barata only referred to the money given to Confiep and became entangled in contradictions.

As is known, Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group members investigate the bribes paid by Brazilian companies Odebrecht and OAS to former Peruvian Government officials in exchange for public works.

Constitutional Court

On November 25, the Constitutional Court (TC) decided to declare well founded the habeas corpus submitted by Keiko Fujimori's relatives to annul the preventive detention imposed on her.

The presentation on the habeas corpus in favor of Fuerza Popular party leader's freedom was in charge of TC Chairman Ernesto Blume.

"Concerning the decision taken, I must clarify that the Constitutional Court has not passed judgment on the substantive issue in the case of citizen Keiko Sofia Fujimori Higuchi, and has not declared her acquittal or condemned her. That is the exclusive responsibility of the Judicial Branch," Blume told reporters at a press conference following the announcement.

TC members Ernesto Blume, Jose Luis Sardon, Augusto Ferrero Costa, and Carlos Ramos voted in favor of the habeas corpus. For their part, Eloy Espinosa-Saldaña, Manuel Miranda, and Marianella Ledesma voted against the petition.

Such appeal was filed last July by Sachi Fujimori —sister of the former presidential candidate— with the purpose of annulling the preventive detention order.

Preventive detention

As is known, Keiko Fujimori was ordered to serve preventive detention over alleged money laundering charges linked to the Brazilian company Odebrecht.

Thus, she was accused of leading a criminal organization within the Fuerza Popular political party.

Back then, the Judicial Branch declared well founded the request made by the Prosecutor's Office to imprison Fujimori because of the danger of obstruction of justice that implied keeping her free.

On October 31, 2018, Judge Richard Concepcion Carhuancho ordered her preventive detention for 36 months. However, last September, the Judicial Branch ruled in favor of reducing the preventive detention to 18 months.

She is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who ruled the Inca country between 1990 and 2000. He is currently in jail for crimes of corruption and against human rights committed during his time in office.

(END) VVS/CVC/RMB/MVB

Published: 12/12/2019

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Peru: Barata confirms Odebrecht delivered US$1 million to Keiko Fujimori campaign

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