Peruvian President's Brother Detained in Corruption Case

Nicanor Boluarte is accused of leading a criminal organization and trading in influence Photo: Gerardo Marin/REUTERS

Brother and lawyer of the embattled Peruvian president were arrested, marking the latest turn in a corruption probe that has rocked the country's highest echelons.

President Dina Boluarte has been embroiled in the Rolexgate scandal since March after prosecutors launched an investigation. about how she wore jewelry worth at least £400,000 despite her monthly presidential salary being around £3,320.

Boluarte, 61, denies any wrongdoing and claims the watch was lent to her.

Dina Boluarte has been embroiled in the Rolexgate scandal since March. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Ms Boluarte's brother Nicanor is now in pre-trial detention on charges of leading a criminal organization and influence peddling in an investigation called Brothers in the Shadows. On Friday, his home in Lima was searched, along with 20 other homes.

«I am innocent… I deny absolutely everything,» he said as police transferred him to the judicial unit. < /p>

Ms Boluarte's lawyer, Mateo Castañeda, was also placed in pre-trial detention on Friday, and in his the house was searched. Six more people were detained.

An anti-government protester shows her disapproval of Dina Boluarte. Photo: Martin Mejia/AP PhotoAuthorities also said they were investigating the president for disbanding a special police unit that was investigating her brother.

A presidential spokesman said at a news conference Friday evening that the police unit was disbanded because -for failure to comply with administrative regulations and that the government respects laws and judicial autonomy.

Peruvian politics has been in turmoil in recent years, with Ms. Bularte serving as the sixth president since 2018.

Since the millennium, almost all of its presidents have been jailed, on the run, dead, or embroiled in corruption charges. Ms. Bularte's predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was fired in December 2022 and is in prison while being investigated for alleged corruption and sedition.

Ms. Bularte has the lowest popularity rating of any Latin American leader, with support 9 percent of citizens. . She was also accused of overseeing the killing of 49 people by security forces during protests in 2023.