LatinNews Daily - 16 July 2018 |
Peru’s president jettisons justice minister over judicial corruption |
Development: On 13 July Peru’s justice minister, Salvador Heresi, tendered his resignation at the behest of President Martín Vizcarra over a corruption scandal embroiling senior magistrates in the national justice system. Significance: Heresi’s position became untenable after the local news programme Panorama broadcast an audio recording of a conversation he had held with a supreme court judge, César Hinostroza, one of the principal figures implicated in the corruption scandal. While the audio does not reveal any wrongdoing, President Vizcarra clearly calculated that it would have made it difficult for Heresi to push through congress a sweeping judicial reform. Vizcarra promised such a reform when the scandal first broke a week ago.
Looking Ahead: Vizcarra appointed a six-strong commission of legal experts on 13 July, giving them 12 days to draw up a report with proposals for a reform of the justice system. Vizcarra will present these proposals in his state-of-the-nation address to congress on 28 July. |