Susana Villaranformer mayor of Lima, will go to trial for allegedly receiving illegal contributions from the Brazilian company Odebrecht and OAS in his campaign. The decision came after the Seventh Preparatory Investigation Court completed the control of the accusation of alleged money laundering, corruption of officials, criminal organization and others.
It was Judge Jorge Chávez Tamariz who announced the end of the hearing of formal control, substantial control and evidentiary control. Therefore, the phase of the impeachment order, known as oral trial, continues.
Thus, the process continues, which includes four thousand pieces of evidence and involves Odebrecht, Lamsac, OAS, Rutas de Lima, JW Thompson, among others. In turn, it covers 12 events, which involve charges against 18 natural persons and 12 legal entities.
As for the officials involved, there are José Miguel Castro, Domingo Arzubialde, Gabriel Prado and others also accused in the same case. For all of them, including Villarán, the sentences range from nine to 25 years in prison.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the former mayor received a total of 11.2 million dollars to finance her “No to the recall” campaign in order to finance the expenses of her future re-election as mayor of Lima.
Susan Villarán and the alleged irregularities
Involved in this case are former councilors Jaime Salinas López Torres, Marisa Glave Remy, Zoila Reátegui Barquero and Carlos Juscamaita Aragüena, as well as former advisors to the former mayor, Anel Townsend Diez Canseco and Jorge Nieto Montesinos.
According to the description of the events of the prosecutor of the Lava Jato Special TeamWalter Villanueva Luicho, from the illicit funds, Jaime Salinas received US$120,000, Marisa Glave and Zoila Reátegui US$20,000, Jorge Nieto US$120,000, Anel Townsend US$20,000 and Carlos Juscamaita US$250,000.
The second case is related to the creation and administration of the Unidos para Transformar Foundation, which was promoted by former mayor Villarán. According to the indictment of prosecutor Walter Villanueva Liucho, the foundation was financed with illicit funds also provided by Odebrecht and OAS. Gabriel Prado Ramos, Álvaro Espinoza Benza and Luis Gómez Cornejo Rotalde are implicated.
The prosecution charges state that the foundation was used to launder money from Odebrecht and OAS in order to finance Villarán’s re-election as mayor of Lima. The amount of probable illicit origin that the foundation managed is said to be S/400,000.
