The president of the Republic, peter castleannounced the departure from the position of the Minister of Health, Jorge Lopezminutes after the broadcast of a report that involves him in an alleged case of “smurf” for the purchase of a property by his ex-partner.
“Given the facts spread by a media that would involve the current Minister of Health, and in order to demonstrate absolute transparency in my government, I have decided to terminate his functions”the president announced on social networks at 10:36 pm
Pedro Castillo published, to close his message, reiterating his “commitment to continue working for the country”.
The announcement was made after the Punto Final program broadcast a report detailing the “smurfing” of about S/ 98,400 through deposits made in amounts of S/ 9 thousand to an account belonging to Dervy Apaza Meza, mother of the daughter of Lopez.
The ‘smurf’ for the department
On August 31, six of the workers from the circle close to Minister Jorge López would have been gathered to receive several envelopes of S/ 9,000 each to be deposited in a specific bank account.
In addition, these people received instructions that the money in each envelope should be deposited in different banking agencies and that they should be dispersed throughout Lima so that they are not the same districts from which the deposits are made.
In this way, a “smurfing” operation began, which ended up accumulating S / 98,400 in a single account, belonging to Dervy Apaza Meza. The deposits were made by these ministry employees in 12 different agencies and in just a few hours.
In addition, one day after this event, on September 1, Dervy deposited S/ 81,582 to a real estate agency as part of the payment for the purchase of an apartment in Jesús María.
Minister acknowledges your money
Minister Jorge López Peña, denied that the amounts deposited come from State funds, but that it is his personal money.
“What I must clarify in this regard is that the money I gave is my property and I have the due support to prove that. I left that money to my trusted staff, whom I asked to please make the deposit, taking into account my busy schedule as minister”he maintained in an interview with the program.
In addition, the head of the Minsa denied having met with the six Ministry workers to order these payments to be made. “I only have one trusted person to whom I entrusted this order”, he added to later rule out that he was involved in the decision to purchase the department.
