PERU-CASTILLO – TELAM Agency
The Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office filed a new constitutional complaint against the country’s former president, Pedro Castillo, and the former Defense Minister, Walter Ayala, for alleged irregularities in a series of promotions in the Armed Forces and the National Police.
“They are accused of being the alleged perpetrators of the crimes of abuse of authority, illegal sponsorship and own passive bribery, among others,” explained the Public Ministry in a post on its account on the X social network, formerly known as Twitter.
In November 2021, former Army Commander General José Vizcarra denounced pressure from the Government for the promotion of two officers close to the former president, according to the local newspaper El Comercio.
The former general commander of the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) Jorge Chaparro also denounced similar interference for the promotion of three other officers, according to the Europa Press news agency.
According to the investigations of the Prosecutor’s Office, the ex-Commander of the Police Javier Gallardo would have been the presumed ringleader of the illicit collection scheme for officers of the institution to be promoted.
For this reason, the prosecution charges him with the crimes of criminal organization and bribery.
In total, they allege nine serving generals would have paid up to $40,000 to get promoted.
Castillo has been in prison since December 2022, when Congress dismissed him hours after the then president announced the dissolution of parliament and the formation of an exceptional government with the suppression of constitutional guarantees.
After the dismissal of Castillo and his subsequent preventive imprisonment for the alleged crime of rebellion, the former president was succeeded by his then vice president, Dina Boluarte, who continues as head of the Executive Branch.
Source: Ambito
