The ex-president Ollanta Humala Started the week off on the wrong foot. The Judiciary began yesterday the oral trial against him, his wife Nadine Heredia and another 11 investigated, rejecting the request to postpone the start of the trial and also denied the request to exclude the businessman Martín Belaunde Lossio from the case. Both are accused of receiving allegedly irregular contributions from the Government of Venezuela and Odebrecht for the former president’s electoral campaigns of 2006 and 2011, respectively.
As soon as the Third National Collegiate Criminal Court accredited those investigated, the defenses went on the attack. The lawyer of the former first lady, Cesar Nakazakiasked to postpone the beginning of the trial, arguing that the period of control of the file has not yet expired.
The criminal lawyer pointed out that on February 11, four volumes were added to the case file – which already consisted of 44 – for which a longer term was necessary for its review.
Despite the fact that the lawyers of others involved joined Nakazaki’s request, the courtroom chaired by Judge Nayko Coronado rejected the request to suspend the start of the trial, considering that they were properly notified of the file.
Another blow to the former president was the refusal to exclude the defendant Martín Belaunde Lossio from the process, arguing that his extradition from Bolivia has not been extended for the case and only applies to the processes of ‘La Switchboard’, Antalsis and regional governments.
Humala’s former adviser did not connect to the virtual hearing due to health problems, his lawyer said. He is a key piece to support the supposed contributions that Humala would have received from the Venezuelan government.
The prosecution’s turn
The Prosecutor’s Office requested 20 years in prison for the former president and 26 and a half years for his wife. Today, starting at 9:00 am, prosecutor Germán Juárez Atoche, a member of the Lava Jato special team, He will present the opening arguments in the oral trial for the crime of money laundering.
Juárez accuses the Humala-Heredia couple of having received US$3 million illegally from Odebrecht to finance his 2011 campaign, with which he finally came to power that same year.
Peru21 He learned that prosecutors from the special team will travel to Brazil on March 15 to coordinate the statement of the former directors of the Brazilian company in the trial.
The testimonies that can sink the former presidential partner are those of Jorge Barata and Marcelo Odebercht.
Keep in mind
- The following hearings were scheduled for Thursday, March 3, Friday, March 4, Wednesday, March 9, Tuesday, March 15, Thursday, March 24, and Friday, March 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- “They would have used illicit money to introduce it into the economic system and launder it in the 2006 and 2011 campaigns″, Juarez argued.
