Peru's First Preparatory Investigation Court of the National Criminal Division on Tuesday night confirmed 18-month pretrial detention for former Vice-Minister of Communications Jorge Cuba, who is a fugitive from justice.
He served under ex-President Alan Garcia's administration (2006-2011) and was accused of taking bribes from Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht.
The restrictive measure was taken by Richard Concepción Carhuancho, judge at the judicial office. He also issued a Peruvian and international arrest warrant for the former government official.
The arrest warrant against Cuba was requested by the Prosecutor’s Office, which opened an investigation into the official for allegedly receiving bribes from the construction company.
Cuba and Edwin Luyo are both suspected of having received US$7 million from Odebrecht in exchange for a contract to build the Lima Metro Line 1.
On Friday, the Peruvian police raided the house of Garcia's former Vice-Minister of Communications in San Isidro district, but found no trace of him.
Instead, they detained former Chairman of the Lima Metro Line 1 Tender Committee, Edwin Luyo Barrientos, who led the committee to auction off the Lima Metro project in 2009.
He has been sentenced to 18 months of pretrial detention, according to a hearing held at the National Criminal Division facilities in Lima.
Second suspect arrested
On Tuesday, January 25, the police detained former Transport and Communications Ministry official Miguel Angel Navarro Portugal, one of the individuals also involved in the bribery scandal.
The operation took place at 7 P.M. in the Balconcillo neighborhood (Lima's La Victoria district), where the police raid captured Navarro.
The Prosecutor's Office, in coordination with the National Police, is carrying out 8 simultaneous house searches in Lima; they all involve former government officials who served in the Garcia administration.
One of the raided houses, according to local media, belongs to former volleyball player Jessica Tejada, current partner of Carlos Cuba.
(END) JCB/CVC/RMB/MVB
Published: 1/25/2017