LIMA, Dec 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru opposition leader Keiko Fujimori was
released from prison after spending 13 months in pre-trial detention
in a corruption case linked to Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
Her release comes days after the country’s Constitutional Court ordered her
freed in a ruling related only to her detention and which otherwise has no
bearing on the corruption case against her.
“For me, it was the most painful event of my life,” Fujimori said as she
left prison and hugged her husband in front of a large group of supporters
and journalists.
Fujimori, 44, has been held since Oct 31, 2018.
Odebrecht has admitted to paying bribes to officials, including four former
Peruvian presidents. Fujimori is accused of receiving funds from the company for her 2011 election campaign as leader of the right-wing Popular Force party.
The party was a major player in the country’s 2016 elections but has been
losing ground since, in part due to Fujimori’s two successive defeats in the
second round of presidential elections in 2011 and 2016.
Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra has called for new legislative elections
for Jan 26 after dissolving the country’s single-chamber congress in
September as part of an anti-corruption campaign.
Fujimori’s party risks losing its majority in congress, following repeated
clashes with Vizcarra, whose anti-graft drive has proven popular with the
public. — NNN-AGENCIES
