Switzerland working closely with Peru over Montesinos
Switzerland is continuing to provide legal assistance to Peru following the arrest at the weekend of the former Peruvian spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos. The federal authorities had already blocked millions of dollars in Swiss bank accounts held by Montesinos, who is at the centre of a massive corruption scandal in Peru.
Montesinos, who has been on the run for nearly eight months, was returned to Peru on Monday from Venezuela. The former right-hand man of the deposed president, Alberto Fujimori, is suspected of crimes including money laundering and drugs and arms trafficking.
The Swiss justice ministry said it was studying a new request for assistance received from Peru on Friday. The country has sent at least four previous requests for legal assistance in connection with the Montesinos affair.
In response to earlier requests, the Swiss authorities have frozen a total of $110 million (SFr194 million) in bank accounts held in Zurich, Geneva and Lugano.
The justice ministry gave no details of the new request, but spokesman Folco Galli tols swissinfo the amount of money linked to Montesinos in Swiss accounts remained the same. He said the Peruvian request would be forwarded to Cornelia Cova, the Zurich magistrate leading an investigation into money laundering by Montesinos.
Galli said Peru had not asked for assistance in investigating Fujimori, who has been living in Japan since being deposed. The former president is suspected of misappropriating up to $1 billion of state funds.
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