Peru urges US to extradite ex-president wanted on bribery charges

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (Photo by AFP)

The Peruvian president has called the United States to deport his predecessor Alejandro Toledo, who is wanted on charges of accepting bribes.

Pablo Kuczynski called his US counterpart, Donald Trump, asking him “to evaluate... with the State Department the idea of sending Toledo back to Peru,” state news agency Andina reported on Sunday.

Last week, a Peruvian court issued an international arrest warrant for Toledo, who is believed to be in the United States.

The fugitive politician faces accusations of influence peddling and money laundering. Prosecutors in Peru say he received 20 million dollars in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht in exchange for a massive contract to build a major highway from Brazil to Peru’s Pacific coast.

The White House confirmed the phone conversation, but did not refer to Peru's deportation request. It said the two presidents discussed the “humanitarian situation” in Venezuela as well as “the need to promote democratic governance throughout the Western Hemisphere.”

Kuczysnki also urged Toledo to return immediately to Peru to clarify his legal case.

The Peruvian leader further said that he thanked Israel for banning the ex-president from entering the occupied territories.

Alejandro Toledo, the former Peruvian president  (Photo by AFP)

Lima had earlier alerted the regime in Tel Aviv about Toledo’s intentions to fly to fly to Israel as his wife holds Israeli citizenship.

“Toledo will be allowed in Israel only when his affairs in Peru are settled,” Emmanuel Nahshon, spokesman for the Israeli ministry for foreign affairs, said in a statement.

Toledo has denied the accusations as well as being on the run, arguing he had not been facing charges when he left Peru.

However, he has not revealed his whereabouts.

“The court in Lima did not request my testimony to help with their investigation. On the contrary, it accused me of crimes that I have not committed and that the court cannot prove,” he said on his Twitter account late Sunday.