In a dramatic turn of events, Peruvian police officers raided the president’s home in Boluarte on Friday night to seize three luxury Rolex watches as part of a preliminary investigation for alleged illicit enrichment and failure to testify to the detriment of the State. Footage from local media showed officers breaking the lock on the front door of the house in the Lima district of Surquillo after receiving no response to their repeated knocks.
The search and seizure operation was approved by Supreme Judge Juan Carlos Checkley following a request from Attorney General Juan Carlos Villena in connection to the alleged crime of illicit enrichment through failure to declare assets. However, a controversy between the Presidency of Peru and the Public Ministry had arisen in recent days regarding the investigation into the president’s luxury watches. The prosecutor’s office reported that attempts to contact the president for statements were unsuccessful, while the Presidency claimed that the Public Ministry was assisted by the president’s staff.
The president’s legal defense requested a rescheduling of proceedings in response to her failure to attend summons for the investigation into her undeclared luxury watches. The attorney general criticized her lack of cooperation, describing it as a delay in