The Minister of the Interior arrived at the Congressional Oversight Commission with the script learned and almost repeating everything already said by President José Jerí in his three different versions about the undeclared meeting with the Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang that night of last December 26 and to which he also attended.
Vicente Tiburcio reiterated before that working group that “there was no conversation or irregular act” during the dinner to which he was invited by the president at a chifa in San Borja; that the meeting was occasional, that it lasted an hour and a half, that he did not know Zhihua Yang nor did he know that he was a businessman.
The minister did not say whether the food was good, but he must have liked it a lot, because he confessed that “one day after” this meeting – it should be understood that on December 27 – he returned to the chifa with his family and a group of friends. A half-confession, since Tiburcio did not indicate whether he paid for that intimate dinner or it was a kind invitation made to him by that Chinese businessman he had just met the night he appeared with Jerí.
Upon leaving the commission, however, he rectified his initial version, clarifying that he was wrong, that he went to chifa with his family and friends on Saturday, January 3 and not December 27. The head of the Mininter made the clarification, he said, to avoid other types of interpretations.
The truth is that Tiburcio has preferred to bite his tongue and has closed ranks with Jerí. He has reported that that day he went to the Palace at one in the afternoon to discuss citizen security issues, that three hours later he left and returned at seven at night by order of the president to carry out an unexpected operation in the city, and that after this tour the president invited him to dinner. He reported that upon arriving at the premises, located on San Luis Avenue, in San Borja, they went up to the second floor and were greeted by Zhihua Yang, and that two other Chinese citizens were also present.
The minister continued by saying that at this clandestine dinner they talked about the Christmas festivities, gastronomy and the progress on the celebration of the Peru-China Brotherhood Day.
“Issues about the Christmas holidays were discussed, more related to food dishes. This businessman (Zhihua Yang) asked (Jerí) how the progress of the Peru-China friendship festivities was going and the president replied that the Palace officials were seeing that,” said the head of the Mininter.
It must be remembered, however, that the president assured that his secret meeting also responded to coordination regarding this event that took place last Sunday without his presence.
Tiburcio added that at no time during this meeting did he leave Jerí alone and sealed his intervention with a phrase: “During that dinner, no topic linked to any sector was discussed, nor requests for anything. There was nothing irregular, nor acts contrary to what we do.”
The explanations of Jerí’s companion to the San Borja chifa did not convince the members of the commission. “You have come here to tell us tall tales. You should be censored,” Jorge Flores Ancachi told him, while for congressman José María Balcázar of Perú Libre the minister “has not measured up.”
BRAVO’S TURN
Tiburcio was followed by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Luis Enrique Bravo, who reported on the Pachachaca 2 hydroelectric plant project that was awarded to the company Hidroeléctrica América SAC, owned by Zhihua Yang.
He stated that his portfolio became aware that the project is not making progress, after receiving a letter from Osinergmin, the sector’s supervisory entity, and explained that the ministry grants authorizations based on the deadlines requested by the concessionaire, established between May 1, 2021 and May 1, 2026. He added that the pending information on paralyzed works was delivered by the previous management during the transfer process.
In addition, he specified that there is only one concession related to Hidroeléctrica América, a company whose manager is Zhihua Yang, and maintained that the project has a current guarantee letter of US$244,150, equivalent to 1% of the investment, which has been renewed in accordance with the regulations.
For Elvis Vergara, president of Audit, the presence of the two ministers, and even that of Jerí, in his commission did not satisfy: “There were not enough contributions, since the versions are neither firm nor explanatory. This issue takes a while.”
He reported that tomorrow they will see the President’s visit to the closed Zhihua Yang store in the center of Lima. Representatives of the Municipality of Lima and Indecopi have been summoned to this session and must answer whether there was presidential coercion or favoring of the Chinese businessman, since the premises were reopened after his visit. The Palace secretary must also attend to report on Jerí’s meetings in the Palace.
Vergara reported that at least four Chinese businessmen who met with the president have been summoned to the Inspection Service next week.
Meanwhile, in Congress, they are still far from the 78 signatures needed for an Extraordinary Plenary Session to be held. According to José Cueto, from Honor and Democracy, only 54 signatures have been collected, but Jerí’s new revelations could add more adhesions. “If Fuerza Popular and APP continue shielding it, nothing will advance,” he said.
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