Luxembourg is firmly resolved to back the repatriation of US$15 million from European accounts in the name of Fujimori’s former advisor Vladimiro Montesinos, Peruvian anti-corruption prosecutor Joel Segura said on Wednesday.
The repatriation process will, first, pursue legal recognition of the sentence ordering confiscation of the money, and then, enter a political negotiation stage with Luxembourgian authorities.
“They firmly intend bring cases like this —linked to corruption of public officials, use of bank accounts, off shore accounts, or bribery—back to the affected countries,” he told TV Peru.
Segura recalled that a May 26 hearing will review the repatriation of the said money, linked to criminal activities such as the bribes received in exchange of purchasing arms and helicopters under the Alberto Fujimori administration (1990-2000).
The Peruvian request will be backed up by the responsible state prosecutor before a Luxembourgian judge, and is intended to get an official order to bring the pending accounts back to Peru.
Peru and Luxembourg have no agreement to arbitrate applicable to this case, so the reciprocity principle will be taken into consideration.
Vladimiro Montesinos was the long-standing head of Peru's intelligence service (SIN), under President Alberto Fujimori. At that time, secret videos, which he had recorded, were televised that showed him bribing an elected congressman to leave the opposition and join the Fujimorist side of Congress.
The ensuing scandal caused Montesinos to flee the country and prompted the resignation of Fujimori.
(END) MVF/CCR/RMB/MVB
Published: 5/25/2016