- Ex-Peru President Toledo gets 20-year jail term
- Convicted of $35m Odebrecht bribes
- 3 other ex-presidents implicated
A court in Peru has sentenced former President Alejandro Toledo to 20 years and six months in prison for his involvement in corruption and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that Toledo accepted $35 million (£27 million) in bribes from the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, which was awarded a contract to construct a road in southern Peru.
Toledo, who served as president from 2001 to 2006, was arrested in California five years ago, where he had resided for many years. He was extradited to Peru last year to face the charges.
The case centers around Odebrecht, a company that has admitted to paying substantial bribes to various officials across Latin America and the United States in order to secure lucrative government contracts.
Judge Inés Rojas emphasized the breach of public trust during the sentencing, stating that Peruvians had “trusted” Toledo as their president, tasked with managing public finances and ensuring the proper use of resources. According to the Associated Press, she remarked that he had “defrauded the state.”
Throughout the proceedings on Monday, Toledo maintained his innocence, reportedly smirking and laughing at times, particularly during the judge’s statements, as noted by the news agency.
This case highlights a troubling pattern in Peruvian politics. In 2019, former president Alan García took his own life when police arrived to arrest him over similar bribery allegations involving Odebrecht, which has since rebranded itself as Novonor. Additionally, two other former presidents, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Ollanta Humala, are currently under investigation in connection with the Odebrecht scandal.
