The Judiciary issues an impediment to leaving the country for Fredy Hinojosa and 11 others investigated for the Qali Warma case

They will not be able to escape from justice.

This Friday, the Judiciary issued a six-month ban on leaving the country for Fredy Hinojosapresidential spokesperson and former director of Qali Warmaand 11 others investigated for the irregular sale of canned meat for the social program.

The measure, approved at the request of the First Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Lima, seeks to guarantee the presence of those investigated in the process that links them to alleged crimes of criminal organization, aggravated collusion and influence peddling.

In addition to Hinojosa, those involved include Michael Burga, Edgar Capani, Delia Zavaleta, Oliver Burga, Víctor Salazar, Deyvis Espinoza, Davilton Rodríguez, Miguel Rosales, Yesabella Pazos, Alejandro Mendiola and Paul Burga.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office requested six months of prohibition from leaving the country against 12 investigated, including the presidential spokesperson and other former officials, for crimes such as aggravated collusion and influence peddling.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the presidential spokesperson and the other defendants would be part of a network that distributed canned meat from the Don Simon brandpresumably unfit for human consumption, to thousands of schoolchildren in vulnerable situations throughout Qali Warma.

The Public Ministry highlighted in a statement that this precautionary measure is key to preventing those investigated from evading justice while the proceedings progress.

Elita Farro, partner of the owner of Frigoinca, assured that she received a threatening message before she died.

DENY EVERYTHING

Fredy Hinojosa, who directed Qali Warma between 2019 and 2022, has categorically rejected all the accusations against him and questions the judicial decision that links him to the canned goods scandal.

In a statement, Hinojosa maintains that his management was transparent and describes the accusations against him as “unfounded.” “My management is being criminalized without conclusive evidence,” he said, adding that the official reports of the program do not reflect the alleged irregularities mentioned by the Prosecutor’s Office.

The presidential spokesperson assures that he was not aware of illegal payments or the distribution of products not suitable for school consumption.

The lawyer pointed out that his client feared for his safety and specifically mentioned Noemí Alvarado, a former Frigoinca collaborator, and her close environment.

DEATH AND CORRUPTION

This scandal has revealed an alleged corruption network that involves senior officials and businessmen, including Nilo Burga, owner of Frigoinca, one of the canned food supply companies for Qali Warma.

The company, which specializes in canned meat products, has been singled out for delivering poor quality food, including horse meat instead of beef and chicken, which was intended for the country’s most vulnerable schoolchildren.

Burga was found dead in December 2024. His death, initially reported as a suicide, is now being investigated as a homicide after knives were found at the scene.

On the other hand, Deyvis Espinoza and Yesabella Pazos, linked to the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion and the Ministry of Health, respectively, would have used their positions to benefit the company that supplied the canned goods.

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