Revelation of massive corruption in the Judiciary

PERU - In Brief 20 Jul 2018 by Roberto Abusada

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The ongoing revelations of widespread corruption within Peru's justice system has ushered a major political crisis that has produced wide popular anger, and is likely to result in a major shake up within three key institutions: The Judiciary, the Attorney General’s office, and the National Council for the Magistracy (Consejo Nacional de la Magistratura, CNM). This last institution, a seven-member body, is charged with the appointment, promotion and removal of judges and prosecutors, as well as ordering disciplinary actions affecting members of the justice system.The unveiling of corruption has its origins in the legal surveillance and eavesdropping of drug mafias operating in the port of Callao (a constitutional province adjacent to Lima), considered the main exit point of most drugs bound for Europe. During the investigation, the names of several judges, politicians and entrepreneurs started to surface. While not necessarily linked to drug trafficking, most conversations dealt with corruption in the handing out of sentences and the naming of judges and prosecutors by the CNM. When some of the individuals involved learned of the investigation and tried to suppress it, a few audios were leaked to the press. In the first audio made public, the Head of the Higher Penal Court, Cesar Hinostrosa, is heard negotiating the sentence of an individual accused of raping a 13-year-old girl. Subsequent audios revealed widespread exchange of favors between judges and members of the CNM. Furthermore, they revealed that a member of the majority in Congress, Hector Becerril, had been influencing members of the CNM to elect a new President for that body. This is a particularly sensitive ...