Volcan mining company gave US$260,000 to the presidential campaign of Keiko Fujimori in 2011, through Peru's privately-run National Confederation of Private Business Institutions (Confiep), media outlets have reported.
According to IDL Reporteros, this contribution was acknowledged by Jose Ignacio de Romaña Letts —Vice-Chairman of Volcan— before the Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group.
This money delivery had been allegedly made "in defense of private enterprises," within the context of the second election round between Fujimori and Ollanta Humala.
As is known, the race was then won by candidate Humala, a leftist who in his first bid (2006) had been publicly supported by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The money, De Romaña Letts stressed, had been given to the campaign at the request of the then-Chairman of Confiep Ricardo Briceño.
A total of 17 businessmen and executives were summoned by Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group member Jose Domingo Perez to testify in the investigation on alleged money laundering offenses committed by Keiko Fujimori.
The testimonies come after Odebrecht's former Representative in Peru Jorge Barata affirmed that the Brazilian construction company had contributed US$1.2 million to the presidential campaign of Fujimori in 2011.
Preventive detention
The Judicial Branch had 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.
(END) VVS/MVB