Andina

Toledo's lawyer says ex-president will be in Peru in a few days

11:52 | Lima, Apr. 20.

Peru's ex-President Alejandro Toledo will surrender to U.S. Marshal agents on Friday, April 21, at 9 a.m. (11 a.m. Peruvian time), his lawyer Roberto Su has affirmed.

Moreover, Su stated that the former President will be in Peru in four or five days, in compliance with the extradition request.

Thus, Toledo will comply with the decision by U.S. Judge Thomas S. Hixson, who ordered him to turn himself in to the Marshal to continue his extradition process to Peru.

According to his lawyer, after his surrender, it will be left to Peruvian authorizes to handle the proceedings and corresponding coordination with U.S. authorities to finalize the extradition.

"After that comes the proceedings by Peruvian authorities, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Interpol, the International Cooperation Office of the Public Ministry, which seek the extradition at the request of the Court. They have to coordinate directly with U.S. authorities," he told TV Peru.

Su said that he does not know if Toledo will be taken to Washington D.C., the capital of the United Sates, before bringing him back to Peru.

However, he affirmed that once he has turned himself in to U.S. authorities, a quick process will be completed so that he can be in Peru in four or five days.

"I understand that the process must be quick. It should take four or five days," he stated.

On Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Thomas S. Hixson, ordered former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo to turn himself in to U.S. Marshal agents on Friday, April 21, 2023, at 9 a.m. (11 a.m. Peruvian time) to proceed with his extradition to Peru.

The order came after the United States Department of Justice requested to issue a new arrest warrant for the ex-president, in order to continue with the extradition.

Likewise, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Toledo's latest motion to stop his extradition back to Peru.

During a virtual court hearing held on Wednesday afternoon, the ex-president's defense stated that no additional appeals would be filed so as to avoid delaying the execution of the extradition.

Alejandro Toledo —who resides in the U.S.— is being investigated by the Peruvian justice for having allegedly received a bribe worth nearly US$32 million from the Brazilian Odebrecht company to favor it in the bidding for the Interoceanic Highway, while he was President of the Republic (2001-2006).

(END) NGB/CVC/RMB

Published: 4/20/2023