Peru's President Sagasti Refuses To Declare Over 'Vaccinegate'

Peru's President Francisco Sagasti announced that he would not attend a congressional subpoena scheduled for Monday to respond to the allegations of COVID-19 illegal vaccinations in his Cabinet. 

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On March 18, the Congress' Constitutional Accusations Subcommittee summoned Sagasti on "the Vaccinegate", a scandal involving former Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti and former Foreign Affairs Minister Elizabeth Astete.

The President must clarify how he got the information over the irregular vaccinations and whether he authorized Astete to get immunized with the Sinopharm vaccine. 

"The circumstances under which I was informed over these ex-officials' irregular vaccination are public knowledge... I have no additional information to provide in this investigation," Sagasti said.

The Constitutional Accusations Subcommittee received Astete's declarations noting that Mazzetti was present when Sagasti authorized her inoculation. So far, Mazzetti has not confirmed the version.

Besides Astete and Mazzetti, Peru's former President Martin Vizcarra (2018-2020) is also under investigation for the crimes of extortion, incompatible negotiation, and influence peddling connected to the Vaccinegate case. They could be disqualified for up to ten years to hold public positions.

At least 101 public officials and their relatives irregularly received a COVID-19 dose developed by Sinopharm laboratory, which delivered 3,200 vaccines for clinical trials in this Andean country.