International review Investigation

Ollanta Humala: “We are going to face the process in the country”

Source: AFP 2017/ Luka Gonzales.

This material belongs to: El Comercio.

The former president asked the Second Criminal Court of Appeals to face investigation under restricted appearance. Questioned prosecutor for “politicizing” investigation.

Former President Ollanta Humala reappeared today publicly, after being held for 18 days in the prison of Barbadillo. From the Diroes, through a videoconference, the nationalist accused the prosecution of “politicizing” the investigation that follows him and his wife, Nadine Heredia.

He also asked the Second Criminal Court of Appeals, presided over by Superior Judge Octavio Sahuanay, to face this process under restricted appearance. That is to say, in freedom, but without being able to leave the country nor to modify its address and to pass through biometric control every month.

“I feel that when the prosecutor [Rafael Vela] speaks of this as a historical fact and speaks of a former president, he seems to be politicizing the issue, he is acting under media pressure since I am the only former president to have been Remained in the country, “said at the hearing that his defense argued his appeal to the pretrial detention order that weighs against him and Heredia.

“I would like to point out that both Nadine and I can deal with these investigations with the same rules of conduct as before, that we have scrupulously followed them, we reaffirm that we ask this court for a decision on justice, because we remain in our country And we are going to face the process in our country, “he added.

Prosecutors investigated the former head of state and the former first lady for alleged crimes of money laundering and illicit association to commit a crime. This is due to the contributions received by the Nationalist Party for the campaigns of 2006 and 2011, which, according to the Public Ministry, are of illicit origin and come from Venezuela and Brazil.

Ollanta Humala recalled that together with Nadine Heredia were placed at the disposal of Judge Richard Concepcion Carhuancho when he ordered the pretrial detention against both, in the first instance.

The former president said that the facts that the prosecution impute to them have not been corroborated. He gave as an example that he has not been sentenced for the alleged purchase of witnesses in the Madre Mía Case.

“We have not taken any action to obstruct the investigations and I am referring to the alleged crime of buying witnesses, which has never been linked,” he said.

After the presentation of Ollanta Humala , the Second Criminal Chamber of Appeals left to the vote its decision regarding the request of the defense of the ex- president and the former first lady to leave without effect the order of preventive custody that weighs against the two.

According to El Comercio sources, the court will issue its ruling in four days.