“Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo Extradited to Face Corruption Charges in the Odebrecht Case”

By Le Figaro with AFP

Published on 04/23/2023 at 15:39

Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo arrived in Lima on Sunday April 23, 23, extradited by the United States to face corruption and money laundering charges in the Odebrecht case, for which he faces up to 20 years in prison. Alejandro Toledo, 77, who governed Peru from 2001 to 2006, had been wanted by Peruvian justice since 2018. He arrived from Los Angeles under the surveillance of Interpol agents, who then handed him over to the Peruvian police and prosecutors, according to images broadcast by Peruvian television.

He is accused of having received tens of millions of dollars from the Brazilian construction group Odebrecht, at the heart of a vast scandal in South America, in exchange for obtaining public contracts. This Friday, Alejandro Toledo, who had resided for years in the United States, went to a court in San JoséCalifornia, to be committed for extradition, after having exhausted all possible appeals against this decision.

Up to 18 months in preventive detention

Once he has gone before a judge and also undergoes a medical examination, Alejandro Toledo must be incarcerated in Barbadillo prison, located inside the barracks of the Police’s Special Operations Directorate, where are also imprisoned ex-presidents Pedro Castillo (2021-2022) and Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000). He will be kept there for up to 18 months in preventive detention pending the opening of his trial.

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The ex-president was arrested in 2019 in the United States, where he resided after working at Stanford University. Initially imprisoned, he was then placed under house arrest at his home in San Francisco, with the obligation to wear an electronic bracelet. Claiming his innocence, he tried numerous remedies to avoid extradition. The last possible appeal was rejected on Thursday, April 20.

Alejandro Toledo is part of a list of former Peruvian heads of state prosecuted or convicted for corruption in various cases: Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), Ollanta Humala (2011-2016), Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018) , Martin Vizcarra (2018-2020) and Pedro Castillo (2021-2022).