Peru attorney general suspended as probe into her actions escalates

LIMA (Reuters) – Peru’s justice oversight board has suspended the country’s attorney general Patricia Benavides as a probe into accusations that she was leading a “criminal organization” gathers pace.

The board said late on Wednesday in a statement that the suspension was aimed at “preventing obstruction” of the investigation. It did not elaborate but last week Benavides dismissed the head of the anti-corruption team investigating her.

Benavides’ lawyer Juan Pena said on Thursday the accusations against her were false and that he would present the board with an appeal seeking to halt the suspension.

Benavides’ office was not immediately available for comment.

Prosecutors allege that Benavides has led a team of officials for the last six months who have been coordinating a scheme in which lawmakers have criminal investigations against them cleared if they agree to appoint or dismiss certain judges.

An anti-corruption team from Benavides’ own office has been investigating her and the officials.

Sharply polarized Peru has seen significant political instability in recent years and this probe is the latest in a series of accusations and counter-accusations that have been waged by political and other leaders.

Benavides, who has held the office since June 2022, had previously filed constitutional complaints against both President Dina Boluarte and Boluarte’s predecessor Pedro Castillo, jailed after illegally trying to dissolve Congress.

Benavides’ successor, who has not yet been announced, could signal a shift in these investigations.

The complaint against Castillo in October last year also alleged that he led a criminal organization, while that against Boluarte, filed last week, concerned the deaths of more than 50 people during anti-government protests that followed Castillo’s ouster in December 2022.

Boluarte, whose approval ratings are at their lowest level since she took over, had called the move a “despicable political maneuver.”

(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)