On 19 October, Justice Minister Gustavo Adrianzén dismissed Public Prosecutor Julia Príncipe because she chose to give testimony to the commission investigating Nadine Heredia without first seeking official consent. Facing possible censure in Congress he was shortly afterwards forced to resign. Heredia faces questioning over her diaries which detailed spending allegedly funded by money laundering.

Príncipe had been in charge of investigating money laundering in the Public Ministry since 2009 and had frequently testified to commissions such as this. Although the law stipulates prosecutors must have consent from their superiors, Príncipe had not sought permission to do so in this case. Only two days before, Adrianzén had declared that Príncipe was ‘rebellious’ in that he had specifically asked her not give testimony in the proceedings against Heredia. An official complaint was thus lodged against Príncipe, and then she was dismissed. http://peru21.pe/politica/gustavo-adrianzen-aseguro-que-julia-principe-tiene-actitud-abierta-rebeldia-2229966

Predictably, the press and opposition political parties pounced on this. Adrianzén was questioned and asked to defend his position before Congress. Facing likely censure in Congress, he decided to proffer his resignation only hours after firing Príncipe. In so doing he claimed to be assuming full responsibility for his actions in the Príncipe case. He assured journalists that neither the president nor the First Lady had put pressure on him, and that the law stipulated that public prosecutors could not give testimony without express permission from the minister. He quit after only six months at the helm of the ministry. http://peru21.pe/politica/gustavo-adrianzen-presento-su-renuncia-irrevocable-al-ministerio-justicia-2230199

The investigation into the role of Martin Belaunde continues, as is clarification of the links between himself and Heredia in the fracas over money laundering.