Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 11
WORLD NEWS A11
Friday 29 December 2017
Peru president and rival questioned over links to Odebrecht
By FRANKLIN BRICENO over the corruption allega-
Associated Press
LIMA, Peru (AP) — The presi- tions and then set off pro-
dent of Peru and one of his
leading political rivals ap- tests by pardoning jailed
peared Thursday before
prosecutors investigating former President Alberto Fu-
payments to politicians by
Brazilian construction com- jimori. Many Peruvians be-
pany Odebrecht.
President Pedro Pablo lieve the pardon was done
Kuczynski and former Con-
gresswoman Keiko Fujimori to secure support from an-
are being investigated by
anti-corruption prosecu- other political party led by
tors in separate probes.
The president and Fujimori, Fujimori’s son.
leader of the Popular Force
party in Congress, have de- The former CEO of Ode-
nied wrongdoing.
Kuczynski was questioned brecht has admitted that
at the presidential palace
by prosecutor Hamilton company executives paid
Castro. Fujimori quickly en-
tered the offices of inves- bribes and campaign con-
tigators without address-
ing journalists or dozens of tributions to secure public
supporters, some shouting
“Keiko, you are not alone.” works contracts.
The questions come shortly
after Kuczynski narrowly Kuczynski , a 79-year-old
avoided impeachment
former Wall Street banker,
was already unpopular
when an opposition-led
investigative commit-
tee revealed documents
showing Odebrecht made
$782,000 in payments to his
private consulting firm more
than a decade ago. The Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, raises hands after the swearing in ceremony of the new
Interior Minister Vicente Romero, at government palace in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017.
payments were made dur-
(AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
ing years Kuczynski served
as a Peruvian government der scrutiny because of former Odebrecht CEO, received any money from
an apparent reference to who admitted to Peruvian the company but has not
minister. He cannot be her when she was a presi- prosecutors that the com- submitted to questions by
dential candidate in 2011 pany gave money to her. prosecutors on three previ-
charged until he leaves of- found on the phone of the She denies that her party ous occasions.q
fice. His term ends in 2021.
Keiko Fujimori came un-
Putin: Syrian campaign showed off Russia’s military might
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV a challenge to the entire of soldiers who gathered in Syria on a visit to the Rus- lots had flown 34,000 com-
Associated Press civilization.” He added that the Kremlin’s opulent, gold- sian air base there on Dec. bat missions over Syria dur-
MOSCOW (AP) — President the Islamic State group was and-white St. George’s 11 and ordered a partial ing the campaign and the
Vladimir Putin praised Rus- seeking to turn Syria into a Hall. pullout of Russian forces Russian military conducted
sian soldiers Thursday for base for “global aggres- Russia launched a cam- from the country. He em- 166 launches of high-preci-
their actions in Syria, say- sion” and threaten Russia. paign in Syria on Sept. 30, phasized that the military sion cruise missiles.
ing the Russian campaign Putin said the more than 2015 when Syrian President will maintain its presence at The Syrian operation
there has demonstrated 48,000 Russian troops who Bashar Assad’s government both the Hemeimeem air marked the combat debut
the might of the nation’s took part in the Syria cam- was on the verge of col- base in Syria and a naval of an array of new weap-
revamped military to the paign were fighting for their lapse, quickly turning the facility in the Syrian port of ons for Russia, including
world. “homeland, for a just and tide of conflict in his favor. Tartus. cruise missiles launched
Speaking at a Krem- fair cause.” Thanks to Russian air cover The Russian leader empha- from warships, submarines
lin awards ceremony for “Your heroic actions and and its special operations sized that “Russia’s army and strategic bombers. The
troops who fought in Syria, professionalism helped forces, Assad’s military has and navy have fully shown new missiles gave the Rus-
Putin says Russia has “made preserve the Syrian state, routed both the IS militants their increased capabil- sian military a long-sought,
the main, decisive contri- stop mass killings, execu- and the rebels and seized ity and successfully used long-range precision cruise
bution to the destruction of tions and terror against ci- wide swathes of land. state-of-the-art weapons.” capability that only the U.S.
a criminal group that cast vilians,” Putin told hundreds Putin declared victory in Putin noted that Russian pi- had before. q
