Switzerland transmits Montesinos documents to Peruvian authorities
Switzerland has handed over bank documents to the Peruvian authorities concerning the investigation against Peru's former spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, who is suspected of money laundering. The Swiss justice ministry said that the documents in question concerned bank accounts totalling SFr120 million ($70 million) blocked last autumn in Zurich and Geneva.
The Swiss documents will serve as evidence in legal proceedings led by the Peruvian authorities. However, the justice ministry said a small number of documents relating to the case would remain in Switzerland pending the outcome of several appeals filed by lawyers of the former spy chief.
The Peruvian government has offered a SFr8.5 million ($5million) reward for any information which might lead to the arrest of Montesinos. The whereabouts of the former aide to Peru’s ousted president, Alberto Fujimori, remain unknown.
The Peruvian authorities have also launched an investigation against two former politicians following a tip-off by Swiss justice officials. Accounts belonging to Peru’s former prime minister, Victor Joy Way, and the ex-head of the armed forces, General Nicolas de Bari Hermoza have been blocked.
A spokesman for the justice ministry, Folco Galli, told swissinfo that the money had been discovered during a Swiss probe of assets belonging to the former head of the country’s secret services, Vladimiro Montesinos.
“We recently informed the Peruvian authorities that the judicial authorities in Zurich have blocked the bank accounts of [the two men] in the case related to Montesinos.”
He added that $25 million (SFr42.5 million) had been frozen, $10 million of which was in accounts belonging to Victor Joy Way, while the remainder was held by the general.
The new investigation follows an inquiry by the Peruvian authorities into Montesinos, who stands accused of taking $120 million out of the country. Peru’s anti-corruption agency believes the two cases could be linked.
Joy Way was called to appear before the committee investigating the Montesinos money affair on Thursday. Now a deputy in the Peruvian parliament, he held the posts of prime minister and economy minister under the deposed president, Alberto Fujimori.
swissinfo with agencies
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