A key witness within the corruption case of a former mayor of Peru’s capital, Lima, has been discovered lifeless at his dwelling, Peruvian prosecutors say, lower than three months earlier than the trial is because of begin.
José Miguel Castro, who was dwelling beneath home arrest, was a municipality official throughout Susana Villarán’s time period as mayor from 2011 to 2014.
He was a co-defendant within the trial with Ms Villarán, who’s accused of receiving bribes price $10m (£7.3m) from Brazilian building corporations.
In 2019, Ms Villarán admitted to receiving funds from these corporations however denied that they have been bribes. Mr Castro was collaborating with prosecutors on the investigation. The reason for his loss of life isn’t but recognized.
“He was the second most vital particular person behind Ms Villarán,” prosecutor José Domingo Pérez informed Peruvian information channel Canal N.
“We have been anticipating his worthwhile contribution” to the trial, he added.
Ms Villarán, 75, is accused of collusion, cash laundering and forming a prison organisation that acquired tens of millions of {dollars} from building corporations Odebrecht – now referred to as Novonor – and OAS.
Prosecutors mentioned Mr Castro was the alleged prison organisation’s second-in-command.
In 2019 Ms Villarán admitted taking funds from Odebrecht and OAS to finance her 2013 mayoral marketing campaign to remain in workplace, however denied they constituted bribes.
The trial is because of begin on 23 September.
Ms Villarán is certainly one of various Peruvian politicians implicated within the Odebrecht scandal.
In 2016 the Brazilian building large admitted to bribing officers throughout Latin America and components of Africa with a view to acquire building contracts.
Plenty of former Peruvian presidents have since been investigated, together with Ollanta Humala, who was sentenced to fifteen years in jail earlier this yr, and Alejandro Toledo, who was sentenced to greater than 20 years in jail final yr.
One other former chief, Alan Garcia, killed himself as authorities arrived at his home to arrest him in 2019.
An investigation in opposition to one other former president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, is ongoing. He denies the costs.
