Peruvian Congressman Sentenced to Five Years on Collusion

Peru’s public prosecutor reported Thursday that the judiciary has sentenced congressman Joaquin Dipas, a member of ex-President Fujimori's Fuerza Popular (Popular Strength) party, to five years in prison for collusion.

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"As the tax investigation showed, Dipas Huaman took advantage of his position as mayor of Pichari (2003-2006 and 2007-2010), in Cusco, to illegally approve an exemption from the process of acquiring at 3 hectares of land for the construction of a Biotechnology laboratory in Pichari-VRAEM," as indicated by the office.

The ruling was laid down by Judge Jorge Luis Sanchez Ramirez of the Superior Court of Justice of Ayacucho and also ordered that the ruling be reported to the Congressional Commission of Immunity Surveillance and the Supreme Court, in order to remove his parliamentary immunity which protects him from imprisonment.

In addition, three of Dipas’ ex-administrators were sentenced to five years in prison, while five other ex-employees of the Municipality of Pichari and the owner of the land in question were sentenced to four years in prison.

On Oct. 20, 2010, Joaquin Dipas resigned as mayor of Pichari to run for congress with the FP, but as he was leaving signed the contract to guarantee the payout of 840,000 soles (US$252,000) to the owners or the property at an inflated price, according to the court.

This case is but one of the many corruption cases that have thrown Peru’s political establishment into a tailspin as politician after politician is found to have participated in some form of corruption.

The most far-reaching scandal is the Odebrecht scandal which has brought down presidents and mayors, and contributed to the suicide of former President Alan Garcia last month.