Lima, Peru — Peru’s Supreme Court sentenced former congressman Kenji Fujimori, the son of divisive former President Alberto Fujimori, to four years and six months of a “suspended sentence” after finding him guilty of the crime of influence trafficking against the Peruvian State — a case that has come to be known as “Mamanivideos.”
Kenji’s father was recently released from prison early after being convicted of human rights violations and corruption in 2009.
The former congressman’s lawyer, Elio Riera, told news outlet Perú21 on January 9 that his client “is innocent” and would comply with the ruling, which, although condemnatory, does not require him to go to jail.
Kenji had initially been sentenced to four years in prison for this case on November 15, 2022, however, the sentence didn’t go into effect because his attorney appealed.
Although the sentence was affirmed by the Supreme Court on January 9, Kenji was spared prison time thanks to Legislative Decree 1585 from President Dina Boluarte’s government, published in November 2023. The decree, which modifies various articles of the Penal Code to reduce the prison population, stated that the execution of a sentence for any convicted person is suspended when it does not exceed five years of imprisonment.
Despite the fact that Alberto Fujimori’s youngest son will not go to prison, Kenji has been suspended from holding any public office for 18 months and must pay 500,000 soles (USD $135,000) in civil reparations.
The former politician must also abide by established rules of conduct, including not leaving his house without judicial authorization, not carrying any weapons or committing further crimes, appearing in court every three months, not undertaking in any vandalism or offensive acts, and undertaking a supervised social work by the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE).
The Supreme Court’s ruling not only affects Kenji Fujimori, it also extends to former congressman Guillermo Bocángel and Bienvenido Ramírez, who were involved in the same case.
‘Mamanivideos’ Case
In late 2018, then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski faced impeachment, while Kenji Fujimori sought to free his father from prison. In this context, Kenji attempted to illicitly negotiate the support of some congressmen to prevent Kuczynski’s impeachment, who later granted a “humanitarian pardon” to Kenji’s father.
The vote negotiations were recorded by the late congressman Moisés Mamani, involving Kenji, Bocángel, and Ramírez. These events led to the suspension of the three parliamentarians.
According to the investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Mamani was offered public works funding in his region in exchange for voting against the impeachment.
The complaint against Kenji Fujimori did not come from the opposition but from “Fuerza Popular,” the caucus led by his own sister, Keiko Fujimori. The “Mamanivideos” prompted Kuczynski’s resignation from the presidency in 2018 amid allegations of alleged corruption linked to Odebrecht and fueled controversy over the pardon granted to Alberto Fujimori.
The pardon granted to Fujimori was annulled due to irregularities until the Constitutional Court reinstated it last December and ordered his release from prison.