Peruvian justice system definitively archives case against Pedro Pablo Kuczynski
The Third National Criminal Appeals Chamber of Peru has ruled for the definitive dismissal of the aggravated money laundering case against former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. This resolution puts an end to the investigations related to alleged irregular contributions that reportedly financed his 2016 electoral campaign.
The court made this determination after declaring the appeal filed by the legal defense of the former president, who held the nation’s presidency between 2016 and 2018, to be well-founded. To support this ruling, the chamber relied on the legal criteria established by the Constitutional Court (TC) of Peru regarding political campaign financing cases.
Legal arguments of the ruling
The central point of this decision lies in the interpretation of the alleged facts. According to the Constitutional Court, the accusations presented by the Public Prosecutor’s Office under the figure of asset laundering lacked legal basis at the time of the events. The modality under which Kuczynski was accused was not classified as a crime when the campaign took place, but was incorporated into the legal system through a subsequent legislative decree, in force since November 2016.
The Appeals Chamber has ordered not only the definitive dismissal of the case, but also the immediate annulment of all criminal and judicial records of the former president linked to this specific file.
Research details
The Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office had structured its accusation based on several key points:
- Alleged use of false contributors to hide the origin of funds.
- Questionable fundraising through private dinners and events.
- Direct loans from the candidate to their own political organization.
- Financial transfers made to the presidential campaign treasurers.
- Additional indictment for the alleged formation of a criminal organization.
Previous judicial background
This ruling adds to another relevant dismissal obtained by Kuczynski last May. On that occasion, a different investigation dating back to the 2011 presidential campaign was archived. In that file, the Public Prosecutor’s Office maintained that the former president had allegedly received 300,000 dollars from the so-called ‘Caja B’ (slush fund) of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
In that case, Judge Richard Concepción Carhuancho determined the dismissal of the case, once again applying the criteria established by the Constitutional Court, which reinforces the defense strategy that has managed to dismiss the accusations against the former head of state. At Alofoke Deportes, we will continue to follow the legal outcomes in Peruvian politics.
