Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo has been sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison for accepting millions in bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
Toledo, who served as president from 2001 to 2006, was convicted of receiving $35 million from Odebrecht in exchange for securing a lucrative contract to build a highway between Peru and Brazil. The highway project ultimately cost over $1.2 billion, more than twice the initial estimate.
Toledo, who denies the charges, was extradited from the U.S. in 2022 to face trial. He is one of four Peruvian presidents implicated in the Odebrecht corruption scandal, which revealed widespread bribery across Latin America.
The case is part of a broader investigation into Odebrecht, which admitted in 2016 to paying bribes to win infrastructure contracts in countries including Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru.
Prosecutor José Domingo Pérez called the sentence historic, emphasizing that it sends a message that corruption will not go unpunished. Toledo will serve his sentence in a special prison for former Peruvian leaders, located outside Lima.
Source:
Sweden Herald Image:
Al jazeera
