Peru judge in corruption scandal is arrested

Lima, Peru – A judge at the center of a major influence peddling scandal in Peru’s justice system has been arrested, a prosecutor said Sunday.

Police captured Judge Walter Rios as part of an investigation after audio recordings sparked a scandal over influence peddling and sale of sentences, internal affairs prosecutor Jaime Velarde said on Twitter.

The audio recordings aired on investigative journalism website IDL-Reporteros and Panorama program on television station Canal 5.

Rios is the first judge detained in the investigation.

President Martin Vizcarra on Friday appointed a committee of six jurists headed by ex-chancellor Allan Wagner and gave them 12 days to deliver a judicial reform proposal.

There is a feeling of deja vu in Peru, where undercover audio or video recordings brought down two ex-presidents – Alberto Fujimori in 2000 and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in March.                        /kga