Peru presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez charged with financial crimes

Peruvian prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of five years and four months for presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez, accusing the frontrunner of financial irregularities and making false administrative statements just weeks before a runoff election.

The indictment, issued by the Public Prosecutor's Office on January 15 and unsealed on Tuesday, alleges that Sanchez diverted funds from his political movement Juntos por el Peru into personal accounts.

The news broke as final vote tallies confirmed that Sanchez will face candidate Keiko Fujimori in the second-round vote scheduled for June 7.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, Sanchez and his brother, William Sanchez, allegedly received approximately 280,000 soles (more than $80,000) in various contributions and member fees that were never disclosed in the party's financial filings.

The investigation focuses on a series of reports submitted between 2018 and 2021, a period spanning regional, legislative and the 2021 general elections.

Prosecutors are seeking not only a prison term but a "permanent disqualification" of Sanchez from holding the office of president for the Juntos por el Peru party.

Hearing before election

A formal hearing to file the charges is scheduled for May 27, a mere 11 days before Peruvians head to the polls to choose their next leader.

During this hearing, a presiding judge will determine if there is sufficient evidence to open a full trial against the candidate. If the case proceeds, it could create an unprecedented legal hurdle for Sanchez as he attempts to consolidate the vote against Fujimori.

Sanchez, a former minister under the administration of Pedro Castillo, is currently locked in a tie with Fujimori, according to recent polling.

His defence team has historically dismissed such investigations as "judicial persecution," while his political allies maintain that he has always cooperated with the courts.

___

Source: TRT