Notwithstanding her release from jail earlier this month, last week saw Keiko Fujimori facing further multiple accusations of corrupt behaviour. Public Prosecutor José Domingo Pérez used new evidence from witnesses to accuse her of not only receiving illicit funding but also for obstruction of justice. He is demanding that she is returned to jail.

Keiko had been imprisoned over charges of money laundering in connection with her presidential election campaigns in 2011 and 2016. Now she, along with other leading members of Fuerza Popular (FP), will face charges of illicit association, membership of a criminal organisation and perverting the course of justice.

These charges will also be lodged against Jaime Yoshiyama, José Chlimper, Ana Herz de Vega, Pier Figari and other leaders closely associated with the activities of FP.

The charges arise from fresh testimony offered by other fujimoristas, including Rolando Reátegui, Luis Mejía and Jorge Yoshiyama (the nephew of Jaime Yoshiyama). Other fresh accusations arise from the testimony provided by business magnates Dionisio Romero Paoletti (of the Romero group) and Vito Rodríguez (of the Gloria group).

According to Pérez, both Jorge Yoshiyama and Mejía had recounted how false donors to FP were instructed to lie to the judicial authorities about the sums that they had supposedly donated to FP’s electoral campaigns. They were apparently instructed never to mention anything about payments from Odebrecht or from Peruvian business sources.

Jorge Yoshiyama also highlighted in his testimony the role played by Supreme Court judge César Hinostroza in seeking to provide legal protection to Keiko and others from judicial enquiries into the case.  It was Yoshiyama who personally recruited the false donors who were instructed to lie to the authorities. According to Mejía, all documents relating to illegal transfers to FP were burned in his presence at Herz’s home in La Molina.

The penalty for belonging to a criminal organisation is no less than 8 years and no more than 15 years.