Chinese businessman Zhihua “Uncle Johnny” Yanga friend of President José Jerí, and with whom he appears in a series of videos that prove clandestine meetings, released a statement to deny that the meetings were intended to exchange favors.
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Yang’s letter, whose veracity has not been denied as of press time, states: “I categorically deny having requested any favor from the President of the Republic and that he has interceded on my behalf in any process or procedure with the Peruvian State.”
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And he added: “I clarify that at no time have I coordinated any meeting with the president, neither in my restaurant (in San Borja), nor in my Market (in Jirón Paruro, near Capón Street). These visits have been carried out without any type of prior coordination, in which commercial and/or business issues have not been discussed, so I deny any illicit act that could be inferred.”
He was referring to the lawyers Edwin de la Cruz Ponce and Elio Riera, who told the press that the president Jerí was the one who requested the meetings with “Uncle Johnny” Yang. Therefore, the Chinese businessman’s version is contradictory.
Yang also attributes his security personnel to having spread the clandestine meetings with Jerí at two of his businesses. These images show that these encounters did exist, which is serious because “Uncle Johnny” Yang is a supplier to the State. The rule indicates that public officials, like José Jerí, are authorized to hold meetings with state contractors, as long as there is a record of them. But in this case it has not been like that. Therefore, they were potentially illegal contacts.
“I regret that the media has woven a story distorting the facts, which has given rise to a series of unrealistic speculations, using the political position of the President of the Republic, with the aim of creating instability in the country, and also damaging my reputation as a businessman,” says Yang.
After Elio Riera said that Yang participated in other meetings with Jeríand that Edwin de la Cruz confirmed that “Uncle Johnny” is linked to questionable Chinese construction companies, the businessman indicated in his statement that these were no longer his lawyers.
Road project by service levels of the Molinopampa road corridor in Áncash, in charge of the consortium where businessman Zhihua Yang is work coordinator. Yang has not explained his relationships with Chinese construction companies that are state contractors. Photo: Provias
Capón’s contractor
However, there is increasing evidence that Zhihua Yang is a state contractor closely linked to Chinese construction companies.
Two of Yang’s companies, América Sam, register contracts for S/2.1 million, and Construcciones Capón, for S/4.2 million. In addition, Hidroeléctrica América, also owned by it, won the concession to put the Pachachaca plant (Apurímac) into operation, with an investment of US$24.4 million.
But it’s not the only thing.
Yang acted as a subcontractor for Chinese companies that won awards of the National Provías program of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. It was the businesswoman Karelim López Arredondo who revealed the mechanism.
López was one of the clandestine visitors to the house on Sarratea Street where she held clandestine meetings with former president Pedro Castillo. In her statements as an effective collaborator, López pointed out that Castillo’s nephews (Gian Marco Castillo Gómez and Fray Vásquez Castillo) were the ones who obtained million-dollar contracts for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads, from the National Provías program of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. He mentioned among the beneficiaries four Chinese companies, of which two are related to businessman Zhihua Yang, better known as “Uncle Johnny Yang”, the friend of President José Jerí.
There is evidence of the relationship between the Chinese construction companies and “Uncle Johnny” Yang, the friend of President José Jerí.
On February 11, 2020, Construcciones Capón, owned by Zhihua Yang formed a consortium with China Railway N°10 Engineering Group, and participated in a road rehabilitation project in the Amazon region. Due to a problem related to the authentication of the signatures of Chinese officials, the consortium was excluded from the process.
Santa María-Santa Teresa Highway-Machu Picchu Hydroelectric Bridge, a work that seeks to offer the population an alternative access to the Inca citadel in Cusco. Photo: Infobras
The Chinese route of contracts
But China Railway N°10 was presented again, this time in consortium with the Peruvian company Grupo Constructor y Consultor Asociados – GC y CA, owned by the Aguilar Quispe brothers. According to the testimony of witness Karelin López, the Aguilar Quispe brothers were linked to Pedro Castillo’s nephews, who in turn acted as a front for Chinese companies.
Indeed, on November 24, 2020, the consortium won the aforementioned project for S/191 million. The contract was signed by Chinese citizen Fang Yimin. But he “Uncle Johnny Yang” was not left out. Through his company Construcciones Capón, he acted as a subcontractor.
As reported by the newspaper “Perú.21”, according to a police report – to which La República also had access – on Friday, July 20, 2021, businessman Zhihua Yang, as coordinator of the Molinopampa Highway Consortium, reported to the San Luis police station, in Áncash, that he was a victim of extortionists.
Yang was working for the consortium made up of China Railway No. 10 and the Grupo Constructor y Consultor Asociados, owned by the Aguilar Quispe brothers. He acted as a subcontractor for the consortium through his company Construcciones Capón.
China Railway No. 10 is one of the companies investigated for the “Sarratea Case.”
The now “Uncle Yang’s” former lawyer, Edwin de la Cruz Ponce, confirmed his client’s relationship with the Chinese construction companies.
“He has been a subcontractor,” lawyer De La Cruz told the Republic: “Remember, one work in Áncash and the other in Cusco. It has no direct connection, because a subcontractor has no relationship with the State, it rents machines. Construcciones Capón is the one that subcontracts.
Mr. Yang only rented his machine.”
Three Chinese companies won Provías contracts in Cusco: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, China Railway Tunnel Group and China Gezhouba Group Corporation. Of these three, the first two are those who, according to effective collaborator Karelim López, worked with the nephews of former president Pedro Castillo: Gian Marco Castillo Gómez and Fray Vásquez Castillo.
Coincidentally, through a Directorial Resolution published on January 6 of this year, the MTC rejected the request of China Railway Tunnel Group Co. that requested the extension of the delivery of a work in Cusco scheduled to conclude on October 24, 2025 and which it did not comply with. Likewise, it required an increase of S/7.6 million for this project of S/166 million. The claim was also denied. Was this the reason for José Jerí’s clandestine meetings with “Uncle Johnny” Yang?
Evidence. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications rejects a request from a Chinese company to postpone delivery of work in Cusco. MTC Photo
The evaluation of two criminal lawyers on the case
- Criminal lawyer Mario Amoretti, in relation to the meetings between President José Jerí and his friend “Uncle Johnny” Yang: “The promise or delivery of any property is enough, the value does not matter, for a crime to be established. According to the video images of the business premises, a clandestine meeting, outside the rules, with a public official is recorded.”
- “If the day after a meeting a good pro was granted or a rule was issued in favor of the businessman, the crime of aggravated collusion would occur, because there is a patrimonial damage to the State. From the administrative point, the president must record all his meetings, if he does not do so it would be an infraction,” said criminal lawyer Miguel Reyes Arrese.
