Police arrest brother and lawyer of Peru's president over alleged influence peddling

[Judi Lynn]

Police arrest brother and lawyer of Peru’s president over alleged influence peddling

BY FRANKLIN BRICEÑO
Updated 6:28 PM CDT, May 10, 2024

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Police officers leave the home of Nicanor Boluarte, the brother of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, in Lima, Peru, Friday, May 10, 2024. Prosecutors arrested the president's brother for allegedly being part of a group that trafficked influence by appointing officials in exchange for money and forcing them to collect signatures to register a political party, according to the Attorney General’s Office. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)


LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peruvian authorities arrested President Dina Boluarte’s brother and her lawyer Friday over influence-peddling accusations, a day after the South American country’s government disbanded a police unit that assisted prosecutors in investigating the president’s inner circle.

A judge signed off on the arrests, according to a copy of the warrant obtained by The Associated Press. The document accuses the president’s sibling of working to appoint government officials in exchange for money and an agreement to gather signatures to register a political party.

The developments mark the latest step in mounting pressure on Boluarte, who became president in December 2022 when she replaced then-president Pedro Castillo. He was dismissed by Parliament and is now imprisoned while being investigated for alleged corruption and rebellion.

The warrant also granted the prosecutors’ request to keep both men incommunicado for 10 days, a legal maneuver that authorities typically reserve for cases they deem highly serious.

https://apnews.com/article/peru-president-boluarte-brother-lawyer-arrest-watches-7090c4d4996da73835d7d8e6d4d18277

[PSPS]

1. Influence peddling used to be illegal in the US too, but it's now an institution.