Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo arrested in US

[Judi Lynn]

Franklin Briceno, Associated Press
Updated 3:03 pm CDT, Tuesday, July 16, 2019

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, who faces corruption charges in his homeland, was arrested in the United States following an extradition request, U.S. and Peruvian authorities said Tuesday.

The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Toledo and he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson in Northern California, the U.S. Justice Department said. He was ordered held in custody pending a hearing on Friday, according to department spokeswoman Nicole Navas.

Toledo's court appearance was "part of the process aimed at securing his return" to Peru, the attorney general's office in Peru said on Twitter.

The ex-president is wanted in his home country on accusations of taking $20 million in bribes from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company at the center of Latin America's biggest corruption scandal. Odebrecht has admitted to paying $800 million to officials throughout the region in exchange for lucrative public works contracts.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Peru-says-former-president-Alejandro-Toledo-14099882.php

LBN:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142342374

If Alejandro Toledo had a brother who became a priest, that man would have been considered the "Holy Toledo."

[RainCaster]

1. $800mil in bribes! That's a very civically minded firm

or maybe they just wanted a better deal. Yeah, I'll go with that.

[Ponietz]

2. Great that at least one country can hold corrupt leaders accountable

Alberto Fujimori
[link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Fujimori%27s_arrest_and_trial|

Pedro Pablo Kuczinski
[link:https://www.dw.com/en/peru-ex-president-kuczynski-to-stay-in-prison/a-48409942-0|

Alan Garcia
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-peru-corruption-idUSKCN1RT1K4

Keiko Fujimori
[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/world/americas/peru-keiko-fujimori.html|

[Judi Lynn]

3. Alejandro Toledo: Peru ex-president arrested in US

4 hours ago

Peru's former President Alejandro Toledo has been arrested in the US, the Peruvian authorities say.

The chief prosecutor's office said his arrest was in connection with an extradition request issued in March last year.

Mr Toledo is accused of taking $20m in bribes from the Brazilian construction company, Odebrecht, during his time in office between 2001 and 2006.

He denies all the charges and says they are politically motivated.

Mr Toledo has been working as a a visiting professor at Stanford University, near San Francisco.

More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49008883