Andina

Peru: Judiciary starts legal proceeding against ex-Attorney General Chavarry

12:47 | Lima, Aug. 21.

Peruvian Judge Hugo Nuñez on Wednesday decided to open a legal proceeding against former Attorney General and current Supreme Prosecutor Pedro Chavarry for allegedly having committed cover-up offenses.

A complaint against Chavarry was submitted for having decided to remove Prosecutors Rafael Vela and Jose Domingo Perez from the Lava Jato case in December 2018 and for having requested information concerning the proceeding's status of the collaboration agreement with Odebrecht.  

Thus, the judge accepted to open a preliminary investigation for alleged cover-up crimes against the State. He also ordered simple appearance against Chavarry. 

Deputy Supreme Prosecutor Alcides Chinchay was in charge of submitting the accusations against the ex-Attorney General at the hearing. 

According to Chinchay, Chavarry's intention —when he requested information about the collaboration agreement— was to access the data in order to leak it and hinder the Lava Jato special team's actions.

Likewise, he pointed out the removal of prosecutors Vela and Perez was aimed at interfering with the process of the collaboration agreement with the Brazilian company, as evidence was going to be included in the investigation as result of the accord.

During his presentation, the deputy supreme prosecutor indicated the two charges are within the framework of a probe on organized crime in Callao, in which a candidate for effective collaboration had said Chavarry was part of the criminal organization known as Port's White Collars.


In Peru, the Public Ministry is independent from the Executive Branch.

Odebrecht

In mid-February, Peru's Lava Jato Case Special Prosecution Group signed the long-awaited collaboration agreement with Odebrecht representatives and former employees in Brazil. The accord did not include the Southern Gas Pipeline project.

This deal was intended to procure evidence and testimonies for the investigation of corruption cases in the Andean nation.
       
As is known, the Brazilian construction giant admitted to having paid millions in bribes to government officials in Peru, in order to secure public-works contracts.

As a result, Odebrecht benefited from over US$143 million between 2005 and 2014 in Peru, according to the U.S. Justice Department. 

In addition, four ex-Presidents have been linked to the Brazilian company such as: Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006), Alan Garcia (2006-2011), Ollanta Humala (2011-2016), and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018)

(END) RMCH/DTK/MVB

Published: 8/21/2019