Peru offers reward for info to capture ex-president

The Peruvian government on Friday put up a reward of 100,000 soles (around US$30,000) for any information leading to the arrest of former president Alejandro Toledo, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

It was revealed by Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio on Friday morning in an interview with Canal N television.

"Any person in the world who knows where to find the former president Toledo can receive a reward of 100,000 soles," said Basombrio.

The Ministry's Evaluating Committee for Rewards against Criminality (CERCRI) confirmed that it had agreed to Toledo being added to the reward list.

On Thursday, the country's judiciary issued a resolution ordering 18 months of preventive detention for Toledo, for his suspected crimes of money laundering and influence peddling. This decision came in response to a petition lodged by Peru's anti-corruption prosecutor, Hamilton Castro.

According to Richard Concepcion, judge of the National Penal Court, there is "a high level of probability that former president Toledo carried out illegal agreements with executives of (Brazilian construction company) Odebrecht."

According to Castro's petition, illegal donations or bribes worth US$20 million were donated by Odebrecht to Toledo. US9.626 million of these were found on UK accounts belonging to a personal friend of Toledo, Josef Maiman.

The money was allegedly paid by Odebrecht to win contracts to build stages II and III of the Interoceanic highway between Peru and Brazil.

Toledo's lawyers have stated they will appeal the resolution.

Last week, Toledo was known to be in Paris, France, from where he was interviewed by Peruvian media. However, Peruvian authorities say his whereabouts have not been known since last weekend. -- Bernama