Lima, Peru — Peru’s Supreme Court this week ordered the seizure of properties belonging to former President Pedro Castillo and his former Prime Minister Aníbal Torres. Both are currently being investigated for rebellion and conspiracy after Castillo’s failed attempt to dissolve Congress last December 7.
On July 24, Judge Juan Carlos Checkley, who is in charge of the investigation, granted the State’s Attorney General’s request to seize the property of the two former officials. The State Attorney General legally represents the defense of the Peruvian State.
The judge ordered the seizure of four of Castillo’s properties, three of which are located in his hometown of Cajamarca in the northern Chota province, and another in Tacabamba, a city four hours north of Cajamarca where his parents are from.
According to the income and asset declaration that Castillo presented to the Court of Auditors at the end of 2022, before he was arrested for attempting to dissolve Congress, the amount of property the president owned increased by a factor of 10 between 2021 and 2022.
Former Prime Minister Torres, who is accused of being an accomplice to Castillo’s attempted rebellion, will reportedly have nine properties seized, eight of which are located in Lima’s San Isidro and Lima Cercado districts. He’ll also have a vehicle seized.
The court order does not allow for Castillo nor Torres to sell or give those assets to third parties.
The State Attorney General’s Office has requested Castillo compensate the state in the amount of 67 million soles (USD $18,644,083) for his attempt to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government on December 7, 2022.
Castillo is currently serving pre-trial detention in the Barbadillo prison, where former President Alberto Fujimori is serving a 25-year sentence for human rights violations. Aníbal Torres is not in prison, but in December 2022, the Supreme Court ordered him not to leave the country for 18 months.
Other former members of Castillo’s government also being investigated in the same case include former Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, former Interior Minister Willy Huerta and former Foreign Trade Minister Roberto Sánchez to these events.
