MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peruvian president's sister-in-law handed down 30-month detention

Castillo has denied the accusations and claimed the prosecution was trying to make him look corrupt

Peruvian Judge Jhonny Gómez Sunday ordered the pre-trial detention for 30 months of President Pedro Castillo Terrones' sister-in-law Yenifer Paredes and other defendants in a corruption case because they posed a flight risk, among other reasons.

The magistrate's ruling partially agreed with what the prosecution had sought, despite objections from the defense lawyers. Paredes is under investigation for the alleged crimes of money laundering and criminal organization.

The measure also reached Anguía Mayor José Nenil Medina, who has been singled out as an accomplice in the irregular awarding of public works in the town located in Castillo's native province of Chota, in the region of Cajamarca.

The judge found there was enough evidence to seriously suspect the defendant's guilt of a crime entailing possible sentences above 4 years in jail, in addition to a flight risk stemming from their close ties with the Executive.

The Prosecution also highlighted a delay in the Government Palace in allowing the police to arrest Paredes, in addition to the loss of video footage from the presidential security department which constitutes “procedural endangerment.”

Judiciary authorities also highlighted the Executive's effort to prevent the dissemination of a video in which Paredes appears meeting with a businessman and neighbors of a town in Chota, where she informed them about the need for a census to carry out a sanitation project, even though she is not a government official.

Judge Gómez also considered that neither Yenifer Paredes nor Medina have “quality roots” such as a domicile, family, and work, which does not guarantee that they would stay in the country while they are being investigated.

Although the Public Prosecutor's Office requested 36 months of preventive detention, Gómez decided to tule that their preventive detention will expire in February of 2025.

According to Public Prosecutor's Office, Paredes would be the main “lobbyist” of an alleged criminal organization coordinated by her sister, First Lady Lilia Paredes, to irregularly direct public works bidding.

President Castillo has rejected the accusations against him and his family and said Sunday that the Prosecution had been “fabricating” the case for over a year to make him look corrupt.
Both defendants are to remain at the Diviac jail while their detention facility is determined.