The lawyer Elio Riera spoke widely about the legal situation of the Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang, who has been involved in questions due to the meetings he held with the President of the Republic, José Jerí.
The lawyer categorically rejected that his client had promoted illegal efforts, bills or obtaining personal benefits, and maintained that all the actions carried out by Yang were guided by good faith and a strictly cultural and protocol interest.
As Riera explained, the meetings between the businessman and the head of state were not promoted by Yang, but rather responded to constant insistence from people close to the president, interested in carrying out activities related to the celebration of Peru-China Friendship Day, which is commemorated every February 1. This date, he noted, has a special meaning for the Chinese community residing in the country and sought to strengthen bilateral ties between both nations.
“Mr. Yang has stated that there was a permanent concern from the president himself so that the development of this celebration could be made possible. The insistence did not come from him,” Riera said in statements to RPP, emphasizing that his client never sought to pressure or manage meetings for purposes unrelated to said commemoration.
“There is WhatsApp that will prove that Mr. Yang has not been behind Mr. Jerí”
The lawyer also revealed that there are various communications, including WhatsApp messages, that would demonstrate that Zhihua Yang had no direct participation in the coordination nor was he behind the presidential agenda. This evidence, he assured, will be delivered to the Prosecutor’s Office so that it can be evaluated within the framework of the investigations and will allow us to clarify how the encounters originated.
“There are communications that will make it clear that Mr. Yang has not been insisting or seeking the president. The initiative came from personnel close to him,” the lawyer reiterated, insisting that his client did not exert any type of undue influence.
Riera also specified that, after receiving legal advice, the businessman became aware that the procedure followed to coordinate the event was not carried out through the usual institutional channels, such as the Foreign Ministry. This situation, he indicated, surprised Yang, who trusted that the procedures were being carried out regularly and in accordance with current regulations.
“We are talking about a person who comes from China, who does not fully understand the Spanish language and who always had the intention of doing things well. The correct thing was for everything to be channeled through the Foreign Ministry,” explained the lawyer, noting that his client had no intention of violating administrative procedures.
In this context, Riera avoided describing the events as illegal and pointed out that the Prosecutor’s Office will be in charge of determining whether there were criminal responsibilities. However, he questioned whether people in the presidential environment have not followed an adequate or transparent procedure to coordinate an international activity.
“We are not saying that someone is a criminal, that will be determined by the Public Ministry, but clearly a honest and correct procedure has not been followed,” he added.
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