U.S. agents find US$40,000 in a suitcase during ex-President Toledo's arrest

Photo: EFE

15:11 | Lima, Jul. 19.

During a bail hearing on the extradition request for ex-Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006), Assistant U.S. Attorney Elise LaPunzina revealed agents found a suitcase containing US$40,000 in cash when they arrested him last Tuesday, according to data released Friday by the FBI.

U.S. Judge Thomas S. Hixson, who presided over the hearing today, asked Toledo's Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello about the suitcase.

Russoniello claimed the money belonged to Eliane Karp, Toledo's wife, and was used to pay her personal expenses.

Faced with this evidence, LaPunzina concluded Toledo posed a significant flight risk.

Likewise, she said the ex-President had tried to renew his passport last June.

In the end, Toledo was ordered to face his extradition process detained in a U.S. cell.

Toledo detained in the U.S.

As is known, former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo was arrested in the United States by an extradition order against him, within the framework of the investigations over alleged corruption offenses in the awarding of the South Interoceanic Highway Project to Brazilian company Odebrecht.

The Peruvian Public Ministry's International Judicial Cooperation and Extraditions Unit (UCJIE) Head Senior Prosecutor Celia Goicochea indicated the detention took place on July 16 at 6:30 AM (local time) in the State of California.

Furthermore, Goicochea recalled the extradition request was submitted to U.S. authorities on May 25, 2018.

After U.S. authorities' questions were addressed, the Department of Justice notified the Public Ministry's UCJIE on July 2 that the arrest order was being prepared in order to extradite the ex-President.

"It is a favorable result, as the judicial phase will start," she said.

Finally, the Peruvian prosecutor thanked her counterpart in the United States, for the valuable cooperation in the monitoring of the extradition file and the permanent communication with the national authority.

Click here to read the facts of the extradition request against Toledo.

(END) SRE/CCR/RMB

Published: 7/19/2019

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U.S. agents find US$40,000 in a suitcase during ex-President Toledo's arrest

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