Boluarte arrives at the Prosecutor's Office to respond to the Rolex watch case: what is expected?

The President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, went to the Prosecutor's Office this Friday to respond about the acquisition of luxury watches and jewelry that you did not declare among their assets when running in the 2021 general elections, and that they are the subject of a preliminary investigation for alleged illicit enrichment.

The head of state arrived at the headquarters of the Prosecutor's Office, in the historic center of Lima, accompanied by her lawyer Mateo Castañeda to participate in the proceedings.

On this occasion, The president must present the Rolex watches, which she has worn in several official ceremonies, and answer about their origin of these luxury items, presumably acquired after his entry into the Presidency of the Republic, in December 2022. Boluarte will have to show proof of purchase or explain the origin of the objects.

The prosecution will also request explanations about the origin of bank deposits for one million soles (about $269,000) in her accounts during the period in which she served as minister between 2021 and 2022.

Also about “the possession of a Cartier bracelet worth $56,000 and jewelry that she would have used in ceremonies that would exceed $500,000,” according to Attorney General Juan Carlos Villena.

I have entered the Government Palace with clean hands and I will leave with clean hands

The investigation occurs after The police raided his home and presidential office on March 30 in search of the alleged collection, composed of at least three high-end Rolex brand watches that the press attributes to it through various photographs published in recent days.

For this reason, the prosecutor's office ordered “preliminary proceedings against Dina Boluarte, president of the Republic, for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment and failure to record a statement in documents, for the use of Rolex watches.

The president pointed out that it is a watch “from yesteryear” as a result of her “effort” and assured that she entered the government with “clean hands.” “I have entered the Government Palace with clean hands and I will leave with clean hands, as I have promised the Peruvian people,” the president declared last week.

The prosecution can investigate it for a maximum of eight months. If he decides to accuse her, he must wait until her term ends in July 2026 to take her to trial, as established by the Constitu
tion.

But the government hopes that the case will be clarified with the version that Boluarte offers to end the scandal. Boluarte, 61, has ruled out resigning and denounces a “systematic attack and harassment” in order to weaken his government.

“I presume that after this explanation there is nothing left for the Public Ministry but to close this investigation,” said the head of the ministerial cabinet Gustavo Adrianzén on Thursday. According to Adrianzén, the president “will know how to explain what happened, how things happened.”

This Thursday, the regional governor of Ayacucho, Wilfredo Oscorima, went to the office of the acting Attorney General (general), Juan Carlos Villena, to be questioned about this case but, according to what was reported in the press, he chose to remain silent.

Oscorima admitted to the press that he bought a Rolex watch with the same characteristics as the one Boluarte owns and visited the offices of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers on the Peruvian president's birthday.

The regional authority told the press that he gave this watch to a close person and that he usually buys this type of items, which he himself owns and wears. However, the Ayacucho region led by Oscorima received last March a transfer from the Ministry of Economy for 100 million soles (27 million dollars) for the construction of a stadium, with a view to the 2025 Bolivarian Games.

Asked about this issue, the Prime Minister, Gustavo Adrianzén, said that it was an “unfortunate coincidence”, but that these were funds already planned for that sporting event.

Following this notorious case, two opposition groups in Congress presented two vacancy motions (dismissal) against Boluarte which were rejected, however, by the plenary session with the vote of the conservative and right-wing groups of the Fujimori Popular Force, Avanza País, Renovación Popular and Alianza para el Progreso.

With Boluarte There are six presidents affected by corruption cases so far in the 21st century. Since 2016, Peru has had six leaders.

AFP and EFE