It’s been a couple of years since the allegations that ex-President Alejandro Toledo (who I briefly bumped into at Las Palmas air force base) was involved in falsifying signatures necessary to register his Peru Posible party for the 2000 elections. From the day he left office there has been momentum building (initiated by the new Government) to charge and try him for these allegations that he calls an act of political persecution.

Today
Judge Carolina Lizarraga from an anti-corruption tribunal opened the case against him, formally charging him with the crime. His bail was set at S./50,000 and S./150,000 of his assets have been frozen.

Toledo is currently in the US and will be barred from leaving Peru if he returns. He has said the he will return and prove the allegations are unfounded.

Toledo and his wife have faced many allegations of corruption, influence-selling and misuse of state funds. His wife in particular was famed for her hundred-dollar state-funded hair styling sessions and, to but it bluntly, theft from the state.

President Choledo is a regular victim of many Especial de Humor sketches like the one below…

New President Alan Garcia arrives to the Government Palace to find it cleaned out by Toledo and his wife

Tags: corruption, elections, toledo, tv