:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/YF7LZ3SBVNANZPRK5ABQVZXVZU.png "Alejandro Soto: What are the steps to follow in the tax investigation against the Congress president? | principle")
Although Alejandro Soto (APP), the Congress leader, tried to minimize the fresh complaints against him by attacking the “Lima Press”, his situation is becoming more critical every day. The National Prosecutor’s Office launched a preliminary investigation last Wednesday into what it called a concussion offence.
The move will also include Phenelope Jhoana Contreras Cabezas, who has been working in Soto’s office since August 2021 as a technical staff member.
According to the “Cuarto Poder” report, Contreras Cabezas was in charge of soliciting “voluntary” donations of S/50 from members of parliament’s office staff to cover advertising costs on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Through these platforms, Abepista announced his bills, his activities during the representative week, and his political positions.
read more: Alejandro Soto: Did he tell the truth about his relationship with his son’s mother?
According to Meta Company’s advertising library, Soto paid for 90 of his publications to reach a wider audience.
According to the same site, Contreras Cabezas has made the most transfers.
The investigation opened by the public ministry came hours after the state attorney general’s office reprimanded Soto.
In this regard, State Attorney General Daniel Soria explained that there are “similar behaviors” between the Congress leader and other parliamentarians targeted for investigation. . He would have reduced the wages of his workers to advertise in Cusco newspapers.
Soria, in statements to the press, said the National Prosecutor’s Office should call employees of Soto’s office to testify, with the aim of determining whether or not the contributions actually involved voluntary behavior or whether they were given later as a form of pressure” or “induction from the boss”.
“Tax investigation seeks the truth and to see whether the accused is guilty or not, we are all equal before the law, there is no privilege, everyone should be tried under the same rod, whether they are performing high functions or if they are ordinary public servants”
read more: Fact check: Congress leader’s false statements about his process for fraud
The regulator is also investigating
On the other hand, Comptroller Nelson Sheikh said his agency has already approved a commission to evaluate the hiring of Yeshira Peralta Salas in Soto’s office.
Peralta Salas is the aunt of Soto’s son, who was born in the middle of last year.
“We have intervened and this is currently a pending investigation, but there is clearly a moral and ethical issue, responsibilities must be established in the appropriate jurisdictions and the regulator will do its job,” he stressed.
Peralta Salas worked as an assistant in Soto’s office until early August. The latter revealed that he was hooking up with his sister, lawyer and athlete Lizeth Peralta Salas, before forming an emotional relationship with him. However, he kept her in that position for almost a year despite already having an affair after the birth of his son.
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Development of research
“The crime for which Soto is on trial is racketeering, the misuse of public functions to coerce or induce. If there is an employer-employee relationship between the president of Congress and the payees, it is clear. The position of subordinates puts them at a disadvantage. Any mention by Soto of them making these payments is an inducement. may be considered.”
Former anti-corruption prosecutor José Ugas felt that the National Prosecutor’s Office should subpoena all those who participated in the chats shown by “Cuarto Poder”.
He added that he had to decide whether or not his workers had a recommendation from Soto to make this “donation” to pay for his advertising campaign on social networks.
“Look, the crime Soto is on trial for is concussion, which refers to the misuse of a public function to coerce or induce. If there is an employer-employee relationship between the Congress leader and the payees, it is clear that the position of subordinates puts them at a disadvantage. “Any hint from Soto about them making these payments could be considered an inducement,” he told El Comercio.
Ugas also pointed out that the Public Ministry could expand the investigation to crimes of abuse of power and abuse of power. This is because workers from the Apista office responded with false accounts to citizens who criticized the Cuzco politician on social networks.
“Congressional facilities and staff are paid for operations and parliamentary activities, not for efforts to support Soto’s person. The Public Ministry should also investigate the veracity of false accounts”, he mentioned.
read more: “Even in these conditions we support Alejandro Soto [de denuncias en su contra]”
Section 382 of the Penal Code establishes that concussion is punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two or eight years and disqualification from public service.
Criminal lawyer Liliana Calderon pointed out that the National Prosecutor’s Office should request the declassification of Contreras Cabezas’ bank account since when he raised money for Soto’s advertising on social networks.
“Yes, you must know the amount of money deposited and where these resources are allocated. Of course they can ask. At this point the public ministry can also request a ban on leaving the country” he told this newspaper.
Calderon said the Soto workers, who declared that they had been paid voluntarily, were at a “disadvantage” compared to Congress because their work depended on him.
“It should be clear that it is not right for a worker to make this kind of donation,” he said.
The prosecutor also believed there were signs the National Prosecutor’s Office was expanding investigations into fraud using Soto.
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For his part, criminal prosecutor Vladimir Padilla said national prosecutor Patricia Benavides was acting “without distinguishing between people or charges”.
“As he did with former President Pedro Castillo, he also opened an investigation against the president of Congress because of suspicions that he was accused,” he added.
Padilla, in a conversation with El Comercio, indicated that all the people who worked with Soto during the two years in office of this parliament should be called in office and commission.
Besides…
Country Block maintains support despite investigation
First Vice President of Congress Hernando Guevara García (People’s Power) said that the head of Parliament cannot be changed. He added that Fujimorismo would not support a resolution of censure against Soto listed by legislator Roberto Sánchez of the leftist Cambio Democrático-Juntos por el Peru.
“The spokesperson said yesterday that we are not going to change the Congress leader because of the preliminary investigation, through the press headlines or because we believe, and we are not going to support that movement as long as the evidence we have is hypothetical,” he stressed in RPP Noticias.
To minimize questions against Soto, Guerrera-Garcia said part of the politicking on Facebook was that an open trial for the concussion would not incriminate him, and that the trial he faces will determine whether or not to award compensation. A company he accused of fraud is in civil court and not in criminal courts.
He confirmed that the Congress leader did not have a conflict of interest by voting in favor of the so-called “Impunity Act,” which he later used to achieve the recommendation of an investigation into alleged fraud.
Norma Yarrow, spokeswoman for Avanza País, indicated that she wanted to speak with Soto and explain what happened regarding the complaint that he allegedly underpaid his workers.
Regarding the audit, Yaro commented that it was being promoted by “caviars” and argued that there was “a cruelty” in the board of directors.
This newspaper tried to contact APP Bench spokesperson Eduardo Saljuana, but he did not respond to our calls.
The one who responded was Luis Valdez, secretary general of Alianza Para el Progreso, who said his party respects the Public Ministry’s decision to open an investigation into Soto. However, he noted that despite this fact, the group founded by Cesar Aguna, the regional governor of La Libertad, maintains its support for the president of the Congress.
Valdez denied there was current within APP evaluating Soto’s departure from the board of directors.
“Declaring a criminal liability is the judiciary and we ask the public ministry to complete the investigation in the shortest possible time,” he concluded.
Sources close to Apismo pointed out to this newspaper that a section of the bench has chosen to remain silent in front of the media as they do not want to protect the Congress leader.
Other sources suggest that Acuna Peralta has not laid a finger on Soto and is supporting him for the time being.
There are still 20 signatures missing from the audit
Congressman Roberto Sánchez (Cambio Democrático-Juntos por el Perú) said his motivation for the no-confidence motion against Soto was not the name of the benches, but the support of congressmen “acting for policy reasons”. He added that he had not yet been able to collect the 20 signatures required for his presentation as most of the MPs were in representation week in their regions.
“It is imperative to stop this crisis now, the responsibility of policies lies with the Congressmen. We all must position ourselves for public view, justice and propriety. Soto must step down, resign and the Congressmen must elect someone qualified or the Congress,” he said in a brief conversation with this newspaper.
Sánchez—who investigated the coup by former President Pedro Castillo—questioned that the “majority coalition” maintains a “shield” for the president of Congress.
