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News > Latin America

Peru to Trump: Deport Fugitive Ex-President Embroiled in Fraud

  • Former President Toledo is accused of receiving bribes of up to US$20 million during his presidency in Peru.

    Former President Toledo is accused of receiving bribes of up to US$20 million during his presidency in Peru. | Photo: EFE

Published 13 February 2017
Opinion

Peru's government is asking U.S. President Donald Trump to extradite the fugitive politician.

Peru's former President Alejandro Toledo, who has an international arrest warrant for allegedly receiving US$20 million in bribes, plans to move from the United States to Israel, according to Peruvian media. But Israeli authorities said Sunday that they will not allow Toledo to enter.

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Peru Ex-President Betrayed Country: Kuczynski

TV Channel N reported that Toledo, a U.S. resident, planned to embark on a United Airlines Flight 954 from San Francisco to Tel Aviv. His wife, Eliane Karp, holds Israeli citizenship.

"Former Peru President Toledo will be allowed into Israel only when his matters are settled in Peru," a foreign ministry spokesman said, without elaborating. Israel does not have an extradition agreement with Peru.

According to El Pais, this announcement prompted the government of President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to send a letter thanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for supporting Peru's effort to capture Toledo.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Peruvian president asked U.S. President Donald Trump, "within the framework of the power that the migration law of that country gives the Department of State, to evaluate the option of deporting Alejandro Toledo to Peru, in order to be submitted to Peruvian justice."

Peruvian Judge Richard Concepcion issued a national and international arrest warrant against Toledo on Thursday, sentencing him to preliminary imprisonment for 18 months.

RELATED:
Peru Arrests Two Suspects Who Received Bribes from Odebrecht

In addition, a red alert was sent to the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, for the former head of state to be detained. Reuters reported that Peru had been informed by the United States that authorities will not detain the former president during his stay, nor prevent him from boarding his flight to Israel.

Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company involved in the largest corruption scandal in the country, acknowledged distributing US$20 million to win contracts during Toledo's 2001-2006 government.

Current President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who was Toledo's finance minister, said the former president betrayed his country and must return to Peru to face justice. Kuczynski has also been accused of participating in the Brazilian corruption case known as Operation Car Wash and has denied wrongdoing.

This case has exposed officials from Peru's last three governments led by Alejandro Toledo, Alan Garcia and Ollanta Humala.The most recent president and his wife, former first lady Nadine Heredia, are under investigation and have been banned from leaving the country.

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