Today, in Government Palace, José Jerí will answer this Friday the 30th the questions posed by the acting Prosecutor of the Nation, Tomás Gálvez, as part of the preliminary investigation against him for alleged illegal patricianship after an unofficial meeting with the Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang in a chifa in San Borja.
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Jerí will be with his lawyer, Ricardo Caldas; while Gálvez will be accompanied by prosecutor Ronald Ramón Flores Ñañez.
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Although the session is not public, La República sources indicated the list of questions formulated by the highest authority of the Prosecutor’s Office.
Regarding his relationship with Zhihua Yanga, he would be asked: “How long and under what circumstances did he meet Zhihua Yanga? Zhihua Yang?, What type of relationship do you have with Zhihua Yang? Did you know that the businessman Zhihua Yang maintains a contract with the State? Since when?
The details of the meeting with the businessman would also be addressed: “On December 26, did you participate in a dinner at the Salón Xin Yan oriental food restaurant in San Borja? How many times have you gone to the chifa owned by Zhihua Yang and at what times?
Jerí would also be questioned about the link with businessman Ji Wu Xiadong. “Since when and under what circumstances did you know Ji Wu Xiaodong? Do you have any relationship with Ji Wu Xiaodong? How many times have you met with Chinese businessmen at the Government Palace, on what dates and can you specify the reasons? Who is in charge of authorizing and reviewing the entry of visits to the Government Palace?” were some of the questions.
Intrusive procedures such as raids, lifting of the secrecy of communications will not be carried out while Jerí Oré holds the position of president so as not to attack the presidential investiture, as Tomás Gálvez specified when defining what the path of this preliminary investigation will be.
Furthermore, he indicated that the Public Ministry already collects documentary and administrative information, but without actions that imply public exposure or direct coercion of the presidential figure. Everything – he explained – will follow an absolute reservation scheme.
Investigations in Parliament
In the Congress Jerí will not be very exposed either.
The Oversight Commission received it on January 21. On that date, the president introduced himself and answered a series of questions from parliamentarians. He reiterated that “he did not lie to the country” and announced that on December 3 and 9 he also met with businessman Zhihua Yang at the San Borja chifa.
Elvis Vergara, president of the Oversight Commission, reported that they will evaluate requesting the powers to continue with the sessions permanently to review the case of President José Jerí. However, to date, this has not materialized.
Vergara also assured that “there is a long list” of people who will be summoned to testify.
Jerí faces 7 motions of censure
What does advance, or seems to do so, is the accumulation of motions of censure against Jerí in the Legislature. As of January 27, there are a total of seven.
The first of them was presented by Ruth Luque (Popular Democratic Bloc), on the 21st of this month. It had the signatures of its bench, Together for Peru – Voces del Pueblo, Bancada Socialista and Perú Libre, in addition to some non-grouped ones, and isolated representatives of Acción Popular and Avanza País.
That same day, Elías Varas (Together for Peru – Voices of the People – Magisterial Block) and Jaime Quito (Socialist Caucus) also submitted a motion of censure each.
The next day, three more were presented by: Eduardo Málaga (Not grouped), Kira Alcarraz Medina (Not grouped), Edwin Martínez (Popular Action).
Finally, on the 27th, Hamlet Echevarría’s motion (Together for Peru and Voices for the People) was introduced.
Most of the motions contain signatures from congressmen from Popular Renewal, Together for Peru – Voices of the People, Socialist Caucus, Popular Action, Popular Democratic Bloc, Free Peru, Avanza País, Honor y Democracia and not groups.
Double discourse of Fuerza Popular
The lack of support from the majority groups in Parliament, Fuerza Popular and Alianza para el Progreso has meant that the motion does not advance. None of its legislators has signed one of these initiatives.
In the case of Fujimorism, arguing that Peru requires stability to confront crime and the proximity of the elections. They also issued a statement indicating that they will not add to the “destabilizing chaos” of other sectors.
However, they maintained that the president’s actions “raise doubts” and the investigations of Congress and the Public Ministry must continue.
In addition to this, during a political campaign in the city of Chiclayo (Lambayeque), Keiko Fujimori urged the authorities to also investigate Jerí for an alleged increase in his assets.
“I believe that what is appropriate here is for the institutions to carry out an investigation into this news. I am sure that the Public Ministry and the Comptroller’s Office must be acting now. Before drawing conclusions, it is important to first listen to it and of course for the Public Ministry to do its job,” she said.
And he added: “Mr. Jerí cannot and should not distract the investigations that are being carried out against him with these non-transparent meetings with news that is very positive for our country (the capture of the ‘Monster’).”
This is Jerí’s outlook prior to his interrogation.
Contradictions
Jerí has stated that he was unaware that Zhihua Yang had been involved in an investigation by the Chinese Construction Club, when in reality this case had been evaluated by a parliamentary commission in which he acted as vice president.
It is also not clear who invited him to dinner at the San Borja chifa. He has said that he invited his bodyguard and the Minister of the Interior, Vicente Tiburcio. Before, however, he maintained that he came at the request of the Chinese businessman.
Given the evidence, Jerí now recognizes that he had other meetings with Zhihua Yang, admits that it was a mistake to go to the restaurant masked
of the businessman and assures that he wanted to pay for all the gifts they gave him.
How did the Chifagate case begin?
Before January 11, Jerí was the president who appears kicking doors in prisons, who walks through the city at dawn and who scolds INPE officials for not doing their job correctly. After that day, Jerí became the president who attended an unofficial meeting with a Chinese businessman hooded. He became the president who hides or, tries to hide, behind a hood and black glasses.
His lawyer, Ricardo Caldas, indicated that the clothing “obeys what he wears on a daily basis.”
The Presidency reported that the reason was to talk about the celebration of the Peru-China Friendship Day.
That revelation was followed by another. A new meeting between Jerí and Zhihua Yang was reported. On this second occasion, the dignitary went to Market Capón, a Chinese businessman’s store that had been closed.
