Peru's erstwhile President Alejandro Toledo appears successful tribunal adjacent to his lawyer Roberto Su for sentencing during his proceedings connected charges of corruption related to the Brazilian institution Odebrecht, successful Lima, Peru, October 21, 2024.
Gerardo Marin | Reuters
Peruvian former President Alejandro Toledo was convicted of taking bribes from Brazilian operation elephantine Odebrecht and sentenced to 20 years and six months successful situation connected Monday.
The verdict marks Peru's archetypal high-profile condemnation related to Brazil's continent-spanning Lava Jato corruption scandal.
Toledo, a 78-year-old economist who holds a doctorate from Stanford University, governed the Andean federation betwixt 2001 and 2006.
He was convicted of taking $35 cardinal successful bribes from the institution formerly known arsenic Odebrecht, according to prosecutors, successful speech for letting it triumph a declaration to physique the roadworthy that now connects Peru's confederate seashore with an Amazonian country successful occidental Brazil.
During the year-long trial, Toledo denied the money-laundering and collusion charges.
Odebrecht, present known arsenic Novonor, was astatine the halfway of Latin America's largest graft scandal, aft admitting successful 2016 that it bribed officials successful a twelve countries to unafraid nationalist works contracts.
Last week, Toledo asked the tribunal to fto him service his condemnation astatine location arsenic helium battles cancer.
"Please fto maine heal oregon dice astatine home," helium said.
The condemnation was announced successful a country acceptable up successful a tiny Lima situation where Toledo has been detained since past year.
Former President Pedro Castillo is besides being held determination arsenic helium faces allegations of "rebellion" aft trying to dissolve Congress successful 2022.
Two different ex-presidents, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Ollanta Humala, are besides being investigated successful the Odebrecht case.
Toledo, who famously shined shoes arsenic a child, was arrested successful the United States successful 2019 aft officials in Peru requested his extradition.
Prosecutors relied connected grounds from erstwhile Odebrecht enforcement Jorge Barata arsenic good as Toledo's ex-collaborator Josef Maiman, who said Toledo received bribes.
The erstwhile president signed the declaration with Odebrecht for the operation of the road, though gathering it took spot implicit 2 consequent administrations.
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