Ex-Labor Minister still behind bars

FORMER LABOR Minister   Alma Cortés remains behind bars after her third day of interrogation, by Sixth Anti- corruption prosecutor, Aurelio Vasquez.

The questioning was carried out at the headquarters of the National Police in Ancon, where she has been held in  preventive detention  since the night of August 11.

The investigation was moved to Ancon because flag waving  CD Party demonstrators disrupted  traffic  and, with their ghetto blasters upset residents and businesses on Via Espana.

At Ancon , the “supporters”, have shrunk to a handful. Some reports described them as “hired help.”

Cortes is under investigation   for the alleged crime of unjust enrichment, after an audit by the Comptroller General determined that she  cannot justify income of  $2.5 million in the period she  served as minister (2009- 2014).

The investigation began  on  August 11 and  resumed Thursday.

On August 12 he was taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Imelcf) for evaluation.

Cortés’s lawyer, Carlos Carrillo, said the prosecutor already has the results.

Carrillo said his client “has laid  charges against the comptroller auditors” and already requested a change of injunction.

“Preventive detention is applied when there is no other precautionary measure. The fact that he ordered the preventive detention without pursuing  this avenue is already questionable,” he said.