The Permanent Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court ordered a new hearing to be held to prohibit the person from leaving the country Patricia Benavides Vargas, after the prosecutor traveled to Chile on July 24The former head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office will remain outside of Peru until July 28, despite the investigations against her for the alleged crime of incompatible negotiation.
In this context, the Specialized Supreme Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes Committed by Public Officials, headed by Supreme Prosecutor Delia Espinoza, reported that since April 23 of this year there has been a valid request to prohibit the aforementioned person from leaving the country.
They also reported that the trip of Benavides Vargas It was announced at short notice by his lawyer.
“On July 24, 2024, at 9:39 am, the lawyer of the investigated Liz Patricia Benavides Vargas submitted a letter to this office attaching a copy of the ticket via Latam, in the name of her client, bound for the city of Santiago de Chile, on July 24, at 11:55 am (departure time), indicating that it would be a family trip to be taken from the 24th to the 28th of this year,” the statement reads.
Public Prosecutor’s Office statement. Photo: Prosecutor’s Office/X
Following the warning, the Prosecutor’s Office made a series of requests to the legal defense. These included the place of residence that she would have in Santiago de Chile, to notify the National Superintendence of Migration in order to report, on the same day, the migratory movement and audit of the migratory movement. In addition, to notify Latam to report, in writing, on the same day, everything related to the purchase of the airline tickets linked to the person under investigation.
Patricia Benavides’ trip: why did it raise questions?
Former Attorney General Patricia Benavides investigated for corruption and alleged member of a criminal organizationdoes not face an impediment to leaving the country because the Prosecutor’s Office did not request it. However, the letter of notification of his trip, presented on the same day of his departure (July 24), accelerated this process.
In this regard, criminal lawyer Benji Espinoza explained in statements to La República that, although Patricia Benavides does not have an impediment to leaving the country, this decision is not yet final. “This resolution can still be revoked or annulled by the Supreme Court that appealed. I believe that this decision can be used by the Prosecutor’s Office as an argument indicating that she fled because she did not notify the court in advance.”
According to the lawyer, Benavides would not have been obliged to report on his trip, but Peña went ahead upon filing the notification due to the upcoming appeal by the judge who requested the ban on leaving the country.
