The public hearing to rule on the Prosecutor Office's request for preventive detention of former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala (2011-2016) and wife Nadine Heredia is set to resume at 3:00 PM (local time) today.
The hearing —which started on Wednesday morning— was adjourned by Judge Richard Concepcion at around 2:00 AM Thursday after hearing allegations from both sides for 16 hours.
German Juarez, a Prosecutor for Money Laundering Cases, seeks 18 months of preventive detention for the couple on laundering and Odebrecht-related charges.
The prosecution argued the ex-President and the former First Lady had received ill-gotten gains from corruption-tainted Odebrecht, part of which were allegedly the proceeds of bribery.
As evidence, Juarez presented the statements of former Odebrecht executives Marcelo Odebrecht and Jorge Barata, who earlier this year revealed a US$3-million donation to Humala's Nationalist Party, as part of a plea bargain deal.
On the other hand, Nadine Heredia's attorney Wilfredo Pedraza observed Juarez's arguments failed to prove grounds for preventive detention.
He also said the defense would agree to other precautionary measures —alternative to pretrial detention— like prohibition to leave the country.
He went on to submit both of Heredia's passports to prove his client has no intentions to flee the country.
Ollanta Humala's attorney Julio Cesar Espinoza submitted the former leader's passports in the same vein.
Ollanta Humala and Nadine Heredia are accused of allegedly having received ill-gotten gains from corruption-tainted Odebrecht, OAS and the Government of Venezuela to fund the 2006 and 2011 presidential campaigns.
(END) FHG/DHT/MVB