MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peruvian President's sister-in-law linked to alleged corruption case

“We believe that Peru is above all these things,” Castillo said in his defense

Peruvian Prosecutors Monday announced the opening of a preliminary investigation that targets President Pedro Castillo Terrones' sister-in-law Jenifer Paredes, who was reported in a TV show aired Sunday as being involved in an alleged corruption scheme in a sanitation project in Cajamarca, the president's native region.

“The 1st Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Crimes of Corruption of Officials of Lima, in charge of prosecutor Jony Peña, opened a preliminary investigation against Jenifer Paredes, sister of First Lady Lilia Paredes,” the Public Prosecutor's Office wrote on Twitter.

This decision comes just a few hours after the TV show Cuarto Poder aired some footage in which Paredes, who has been raised as a daughter by the presidential couple, talks to people in the district of Chota, in Cajamarca, to inform them that she needed to census them in order to build a sanitation work.

Paredes is seen alongside Jhony Espino, manager and founding partner of the company JJM Espino Ingeniería & Construcción S.A.C., which in September 2021 won a bidding with the State worth over S/ 3.8 million (nearly US$ 1 million). Espino had been recorded as visiting the Presidential Palace five times between August and November last year, one of them with Paredes and the President's wife.

Fujimorist Congressman Héctor Ventura, who heads the Congressional Auditing Committee, also announced Paredes would be summoned to account for her acts. The committee last Thursday approved a report accusing Castillo of directing an alleged criminal ring within the Executive and is gathering information to charge Castillo with dealings incompatible with his office.

“I think there is a devastating issue, it is not new. I am going to avoid saying anything because things have to be addressed and clarified at the right time, but I think it is important that, beyond these things, in the end, the truth will prevail”, said Castillo.

“Today there are investigations of all kinds, let them continue to do so, we are going to breastfeed. We believe that Peru is above all these things,” he added.

The head of state insisted that no wrongdoing will be found “no matter how much they look for issues like this, which are historical in Peru”.