Peru racing to lodge extradition request for former president with U.S.

Peru is racing to finish an extradition request for ex-president Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006) from the U.S., the government announced Tuesday.

The head of the Peruvian international judicial cooperation office, Alonso Pena, told a press conference here that the request would be completed on Tuesday and sent to the U.S. Department of Justice through the Peruvian embassy.

On Sunday, President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump, asking him to consider deporting Toledo, who faces an international arrest warrant for money laundering.

On Friday, Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio told Peru's Canal N television that "it is highly probably that he is in San Francisco."

Last week, Peru also announced a reward of 30,000 U.S. dollars for information leading to Toledo's arrest.

Within the Odebrecht corruption scandal sweeping Latin America, Toledo is accused of receiving up to 20 million U.S. dollars from the Brazilian construction company.

For the moment, Peru has traced 9.6 million U.S. dollars, deposited on accounts belonging to Josef Maiman, a friend of Toledo.

These illicit payments are suspected to be linked to the contract for a highway linking Peru with Brazil, which was awarded to Odebrecht and other Brazilian construction firms.

Authorities have so far arrested two officials, including a deputy minister, in relation to Odebrecht's network of bribes and kickbacks, which also operated in other Latin American countries.

If Toledo is detained, he will become the second Peruvian president arrested for crimes after former President Alberto Fujimori, who is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for crimes against humanity and acts of corruption. Endit