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Peru election nears as candidate Roberto Sánchez faces trial for alleged false financing information
🇲🇽 Mexico /Elections & Politics

Peru election nears as candidate Roberto Sánchez faces trial for alleged false financing information

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Peruvian presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez faces an oral trial for allegedly providing false information about his party's financing between 2018 and 2020.
  • Sánchez claims the trial's timing, during the election's second round against Keiko Fujimori, is politically motivated, suggesting opponents seek to hinder his growing campaign.
  • The prosecution accuses Sánchez and others of diverting approximately $58,650 in campaign funds to personal accounts, a charge Sánchez vehemently denies, asserting his actions were legal.

Peruvian leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez has been ordered to face an oral trial over accusations of submitting false information regarding his party's funding between 2018 and 2020. The announcement comes just days before the crucial second round of elections, where Sánchez is set to compete against right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori.

I don't believe in coincidences. When a candidacy grows and a wave of hope sweeps the country, there are those who want to label and stop what they cannot defeat democratically.

— Roberto SánchezCommenting on the timing of the oral trial during the election's second round.

Sánchez publicly decried the timing of the judicial decision, suggesting it was not coincidental. "I don't believe in coincidences," he stated on social media, adding, "When a candidacy grows and a wave of hope sweeps the country, there are those who want to label and stop what they cannot defeat democratically." He expressed frustration that after a lengthy hearing, the judge's decision was announced swiftly, even leading to the rescheduling of other citizens' cases.

By the way: after 15 hours of hearing in just two days, a judge announced that my case will go to oral trial.

— Roberto SánchezDescribing the judicial process and the speed of the decision.

The candidate, representing former President Pedro Castillo, denies the charges. The prosecution alleges that Sánchez and others, including his brother William, illicitly diverted about 280,000 soles (approximately $58,650) of campaign funds from the Juntos por el Perú party into personal accounts. Sánchez maintains his actions were legal and correct, and he has provided accounts to electoral bodies.

Today they try to do it to me. Tomorrow it could be any Peruvian. The people will decide.

— Roberto SánchezExpressing solidarity with other citizens and appealing to the electorate.

The case was brought forth by the 33rd Preparatory Investigation Court of Lima, presided over by Judge Adolfo Farfán. The court declared the intermediate stage of the process concluded, though the decision is not yet final as it has been appealed by Sánchez's defense. A higher tribunal will make the final determination. The prosecution is seeking a five-year and four-month prison sentence for Sánchez if convicted.

The prosecution affirms that Sánchez and other individuals, including his brother William, allegedly diverted about 280,000 soles ($58,650) of electoral financing funds from the Juntos por el Perú party to personal accounts.

— El UniversalDetailing the specific accusations made by the prosecution.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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