was on Tuesday placed under preliminary detention for seven days at the request of Prosecutor Jesus Fernandez Alarcon, within the framework of an investigation on influence peddling linked to the Odebrecht case.
In addition to Villanueva, Northern Lima Superior Prosecutor Alberto Orlando Rossel Alvarado, Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Ronald Nicolas Chafloque Chavez, and businessman Jose Maria Santisteban Zurita were detained, too.
The detention was enforced by members of the National Police's High Complexity Investigations Division (Diviac).
The arrest warrant —issued by Judge Hugo Nuñez Julca— also included the raid on the former Prime Minister's home and the lifting of the secrecy of the communications of those involved in the matter.
According to various media reports, Cesar Villanueva may have contacted Northern Lima Superior Prosecutor Rossel Alvarado and Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Chafloque Chavez —with Santisteban Zurita as middleman— to favor the politician in the investigation against him on the Odebrecht case.
Villanueva is investigated by the
Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group of the Public Ministry for having allegedly favored the Odebrecht company with the San Jose de Sisa Highway Project in exchange for money, when he was Governor of San Martin Region (2007-2013).
(END) FHG/MVB