Perus Election Authorities Raided Over Slow Vote Counting Process

Peruvian Police Conduct Raids on Election Officials’ Homes

Police in Lima, Peru’s capital city, have conducted raids on the homes of several election officials, including former head of the national election agency Piero Corvetto. The raids were carried out as part of a judicial warrant and targeted Corvetto’s home, as well as those of five other officials.

According to local broadcaster RPP, officers from the anticorruption police unit removed mobile phones, laptops, and documents from Corvetto’s home. Similar actions were taken at offices belonging to Galaga, a private company that transports election ballots. The homes of five other officials were also targeted by the police raids.

Corvetto resigned on Tuesday, stating that he hoped his departure would boost public confidence. His lawyer, Ricardo Sanchez Carranza, confirmed that a judge authorized the raid but denied prosecutors’ request to put Corvetto in preliminary detention.

One of the leading presidential candidates, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, has accused Corvetto of being a “criminal” and pledged to pursue him until he dies. The current leader, Keiko Fujimori, is in first place with 17 percent of the vote, while Lopez Aliaga is in third place with 11.9 percent.

The Peruvian presidential election took place on April 12, but the results have yet to be finalized due to delays in ballot deliveries and slow vote counting. The European Union’s election mission to Peru found no indication of fraud. The final results are expected on May 15.

Source: Al Jazeera