Andina

Peru: Former Congressman Villanueva taken to Diviac for preliminary detention

ANDINA/Renato Pajuelo

00:01 | Lima, Nov. 27.

Former Congressman Cesar Villanueva on Tuesday night arrived at the National Police's High Complexity Investigations Division (Diviac) headquarters to serve preliminary detention for seven days, as part of the investigations against him over the alleged crimes of money laundering and illegal sponsorship linked to the Odebrecht case.

Until 9:30 PM (local time) Villanueva was present in his Lima home while the police searched his property based in Magdalena district.


Villanueva, 73, left his home in a vehicle driven by police members, who took him to Diviac headquarters located inside the Lima Prefecture compound.

Detention

The former Prime Minister was arrested on Tuesday afternoon at a restaurant in Lima's Los Olivos district —along with Northern Lima Superior Prosecutor Alberto Orlando Rossel, Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Ronald Nicolas Chafloque, and businessman Jose Maria Santisteban.

All of them are investigated for the alleged crimes of influence peddling and illegal sponsorship for having tried to influence on the Lava Jato Case Special Prosecutor Group, which investigates Villanueva in the Odebrecht case.

For that purpose, Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Ronald Nicolas Chafloque communicated with Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Alexander Taboada —who is a member of the Special Team in charge of the investigations on Villanueva.

Following that, Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group Coordinator Rafael Vela brought Deputy Prosecutor Taboada before the Attorney General's Office for the corresponding measures to be taken.

As is known, 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

Published: 11/27/2019