Alejandro Toledo: US To Extradite Former President Of Peru
Alejandro Toledo, a former president of Peru, has turned himself in to US authorities so that he can be sent back to Lima.
While serving in office between 2001 and 2006, Mr. Toledo, 77, is accused of accepting $20 million (£15 million) in bribery from a Brazilian construction company.
Years ago, he left Peru to live in the US, but on Peru’s request, US officials detained him.
He has said he didn’t ask for or accept bribes.
Authorities in Peru claim that Mr. Toledo accepted millions of dollars from the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht in exchange for awarding contracts for public works.
In May 2018, they submitted an extradition request to the US. The prosecution is asking for a 20-year prison term.
In 2019, Mr. Toledo was initially detained in California. In 2020, he was given bail and told to have an electronic ankle monitor while under home arrest.
The former president’s attorneys attempted to prevent his extradition this week by requesting an urgent stay, but they were unsuccessful. If he went back to Peru, they claimed, his life would be in danger.
Mr. Toledo claimed that the accusations against him were made for political purposes. The Northern District of California US District Court Judge, however, previously determined that there was sufficient evidence to “establish probable cause to believe that Toledo committed collusion and money laundering.”
The former president turned himself in to police in California on Friday while carrying a few personal items.
Only a few days are anticipated to pass before his extradition.