Peru prosecutor raids homes amid Vizcarra impeachment turmoil
SEPTEMBER 12, 202012:29 PM UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
By Marco Aquino
3 MIN READ
LIMA (Reuters) - Peru’s prosecutor’s office said on Saturday it raided eight homes of former government employees and associates tied to a case of alleged irregular hiring that has led the opposition Congress to call for the removal of President Martín Vizcarra.
Congress voted to start impeachment proceedings against Vizcarra on Friday, plunging the Andean country into political crisis even as it battles a major economic slump and coronavirus outbreak with one of the highest mortality rates in the world.
The state prosecutor said the raids included the home of Richard Cisneros, a little-known singer who goes by the name Richard Swing, who has become a focal point of the political furor, as well as two officials close to Vizcarra.
Cisneros was awarded government contracts for motivational talks worth around $49,500, which some lawmakers allege were due to links to Vizcarra. The leaked tapes appear to include Vizcarra discussing meetings with Cisneros with aides.
Peru’s Congress has summoned Vizcarra to make his defense next Friday. The President, who has no party representation in the legislature but remains popular with voters, has rejected the accusations against him and accuses parliament of a plot.
More:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-peru-politics/peru-prosecutor-raids-homes-amid-vizcarra-impeachment-turmoil-idUKKBN2630WS
