Peruvian police raid ex-election chief's home in probe

April 24 (UPI) -- Peru's National Police raided the home of former election chief Piero Corvetto on Friday as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities during the country's April 12 general election.

The investigation includes allegations of aggravated collusion, improper appointment of officials, false statements in administrative procedures and delays or refusal to carry out official duties, according to local media reports.

Peru's National Prosecutor's Office led the operation, which included searches of 12 properties linked to former officials from the National Office of Electoral Processes, known as ONPE, and the legal representative of Gálaga, the company responsible for delivering election materials.

Official sources said investigators were ordered to review both institutional and personal email accounts belonging to those under investigation, according to local broadcaster Canal N.

Related

• Peru's F-16 purchase from U.S. sparks political crisis, resignations
• Peru to confirm Keiko Fujimori runoff rival by mid-May
• Leftist gains in race to presidential runoff in Peru; count continues

The raid occurred two days after Corvetto resigned as head of ONPE.

Peru's political crisis has deepened following a chaotic election process that still lacks final results 12 days after voters went to the polls. Election authorities said final first-round results are expected in mid-May.

Corvetto resigned Wednesday amid mounting political and legal pressure over logistical failures on election day, which he described as "isolated errors." In his resignation letter, he said the controversy made it impossible for him to continue in office with the stability the country required.

His resignation came shortly before he was scheduled to be questioned by prosecutors and amid separate investigations by the National Board of Justice and Peru's comptroller general over incidents that included ballot shortages and the discovery of abandoned ballots.

Although Peruvian law bars the head of ONPE from resigning during an active electoral process, Corvetto described his departure as a "necessary and unavoidable" step to guarantee transparency ahead of the runoff election, according to RPP Noticias.

The slow vote-counting has fueled allegations of fraud tied to major logistical failures that forced ONPE to suspend voting at several polling locations and extend voting into a second day, an unprecedented measure in Peru.

Opposition groups and local observers have argued that missing ballots in key districts and the later discovery of ballot boxes abandoned on public roads were not isolated mistakes but part of an alleged effort to manipulate the outcome of the election.

The allegations, fueled by claims of collusion between election officials and logistics contractors, prompted prosecutors to investigate the case as a possible administrative fraud scheme designed to benefit certain candidates.

With nearly 95% of ballots counted, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori remained in first place with 17% of the vote.

The race for second place remained tight between leftist congressman Roberto Sánchez and former Lima Mayor Rafael López Aliaga. Sánchez's lead over López Aliaga stood at fewer than 20,000 votes.