According to the version of the president of the Oversight Commission, Héctor Ventura, when President Pedro Castillo finished his message on Tuesday, he approached his seat and took the opportunity to invite him to receive the group of legislators.
“Congressmen, whenever you wish, I’ll wait for you at the Government Palace,” replied the head of state, according to the account of legislator Ventura.
The Control Commission investigates the alleged award of millionaire public works, entered into by President Castillo through his closest nephews and other relatives, with whom he secretly coordinated at the residence of his friend Segundo Sánchez Sánchez, in the jirón Sarratea.
scrutinized. Segundo Sánchez Sánchez, owner of Sarratea. Photo: Gerardo Marin/The Republic
The working group had informed the head of state that an interview with him would be held in person on March 7 to answer questions from the ongoing investigation. Castillo answered that he would answer only one questionnaire and that he would not receive the legislators.
But in Tuesday’s speech, Castillo expressed a more conciliatory position, rejected the accusations against him and said that even members of his family should be investigated because he considered that he had not committed crimes.
In this new context, according to congressman Héctor Ventura, it was that in the same chamber he proposed in person to the president that he receive the Oversight Commission, and he agreed. No date has yet been set.
New defendants
As part of the investigative process, the commission approved 4 more people being investigated: precisely, Segundo Sánchez, the businessman Zamir Villaverde García, the former mayor of Villa María del Triunfo Silvia Barrera Vásquez and two officials from the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC): Víctor Valdivia Malpartida and Edgar Vargas Más.
Víctor Valdivia and Edgar Vargas, against the opinion of the president of the Provías Decentralizado bidding committee of the MTC, Miguel Espinoza Sánchez, granted the approval of the Puente Tarata III construction project to the company Termirex.
The Oversight Commission also resolved to lift the banking, communications and tax secrecy of Zamir Villaverde, Segundo Sánchez, officials Víctor Valdivia and Edgar Vargas, as well as former mayor Silvia Barrera.
The decision is related to the manifestation of Karelim López Arredondo as an aspiring prosecutor, before the money laundering prosecutor Luz Taquire. López confirmed that she worked for the construction company Termirex, along with Luis Pasapera Adrianzén, brother of the owners of the aforementioned company. She also said that the award of the Puente Tarata III project, at a cost of 232.5 million soles, was irregularly obtained by Termirex.
Karelim López also revealed to prosecutor Taquire that Zamir Villaverde offered Luis Pasapera public works contracts for the MTC and that President Castillo’s nephews were involved in the plot.
No secrets. Zamir Villaverde (next to President Castillo) will now be investigated. Photo: diffusion
On March 9, Zamir Villaverde responded to questions from the Oversight Commission, denying everything said by Karelim López. However, he was not very convincing when he tried to distance himself from some of those under investigation, such as the nephew of the head of state, Fray Vásquez Castillo. Villaverde had to admit that one of his companies rented vehicles to Fray Vásquez, a fact that he presented as anecdotal. Villaverde also appears as a visitor to the MTC, when his job is private security.
This is one of the reasons why the Oversight Commission will henceforth treat him as being investigated, which implies that legislators have found evidence of alleged crimes.
Yesterday the ex-head of the MTC Juan Silva appeared before the commission, in whose management Termirex was granted the suspicious approval and those involved, Víctor Valdivia and Héctor Vargas, were promoted.
Karelim López mentioned that Juan Silva was an extremely trusted official of President Castillo and that he allegedly received instructions to assign contracts to construction companies from people close to the Government Palace. Silva admitted that he is a friend of Pedro Castillo since school, that he met him again and asked him to join his presidential campaign in 2021. But he denied knowing Karelim López and Zamir Villaverde, much less having received instructions to grant contracts. to certain builders.
”(Bodies such as Decentralized Provías) are autonomous executors, they promote, act and resolve on their own. My office has no interference ”, he affirmed.
And regarding Karelim López, he said: “I would classify his statements as gossip. What he says is false, it is media. She has nothing to talk about me because I don’t know her. It is proven that she lies. ❖
Coordinate presentation date with Palace
“I call on the president so that he fulfills the wish of all Peruvians (so that he responds to the interrogation),” said the president of the Oversight Commission, Héctor Ventura.
“We have already begun coordination with the Government Palace to set the date for the meeting with the Oversight Commission,” he said.
The legislator Ventura considered that the answers of the former Minister of Transport Juan Silva were not satisfactory for the working group.
”His conduct has been somewhat evasive, pretending to ignore the relationship he would have with former presidential secretary Bruno Pacheco and former mayor Silvia Barrera. These statements will be taken into account to decide if we change Mr. Silva’s legal status at the time,” he said.
