• Peru’s attorney general’s office stated on Sunday it was include President Pedro Castillo in an investigation into suspected offences including influence peddling, collaboration and “criminal organisation.
• The prosecutor’s office started working on the matter more than three weeks ago to investigate whether there was a suspected “criminal network” in the ministry to award public contracts.

Peru’s attorney general’s office stated on Sunday it was include President Pedro Castillo in an investigation into suspected offences including influence peddling, collaboration and “criminal organization.”

Peru’s Public Ministry on Twitter said Pablo Sanchez, the country’s top prosecutor, will lead the investigation into Castillo given the “seriousness of the accusations” made in an investigation against former Minister of Transport and Communications Juan Silva and six legislators from the opposition party.

Since more than three weeks ago, the prosecutor’s office has been looking into whether there was a “criminal network” in the ministry that gave out public contracts. A businessman who worked with the government and was a collaborator said that President Castillo would have known about such a network.

“The president will be assured the full exercise of his right to defence, and respect for article 117 of the Political Constitution,” the Public Ministry announced on Twitter.

Peruvian presidents are exempt from prosecution and cannot be indicted by the courts for the duration of their five-year terms, however they may be under investigation.

Castillo’s involvement in further investigations, such as those into alleged unlawful purchases of a state oil company and coerced military advances, were postponed until the conclusion of his tenure in 2026.

There was no quick reaction from the government palace press office. Castillo, a former teacher at a rural school, has dropped previous accusations against him that he claims were designed to force him out of office.

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