Toledo’s wife leaves US for Israel despite Peru’s extradition request
Lima, May 10 (EFE).- The wife of former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, Eliane Karp, on Wednesday left the United States – where the couple resides – en route for Israel, Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otarola confirmed, noting that Lima had requested her extradition in a corruption case.
“Information has reached us from the United States that, on May 10, Mrs. Eliane Karp took a flight to Israel,” Otarola announced at a press conference, adding that the Belgian citizen must appear in court in Peru and Lima had requested her extradition from the US.
The former first lady has an outstanding arrest warrant in a money-laundering case, which was opened in 2013 regarding the purchase of millions of dollars worth of real estate in the name of Karp’s mother, Eva Fernerburg, through the Ecoteva company.
“We, through the Foreign Ministry, will follow the case without ceasing to report that … Eliane Karp is required (to appear) by the Peruvian judiciary for allegedly committing the crime of money-laundering,” the prime minister said outside the Government Palace.
He said that “it is the responsibility of the Peruvian government to support all authorities and autonomous entities in fulfillment of its institutional aims.”
He also said that Karp used her Israeli passport and that it was the US Department of Justice that informed Lima about her departure via the Peruvian Embassy in Washington.
Peruvian Justice Minister Daniel Maurate said on April 24 that the former first lady’s extradition was in the hands of the US.
“We’re fulfilling our part, which is basically to move forward with the extradition file … It is up to the officials of the United States to do what is appropriate. We here in Peru have done our part,” said Maurate.
In 2013, the Peruvian Public Ministry began investigating the Toledo family for alleged money-laundering activities when the real estate purchase came to light.
Toledo, who governed Peru from 2001-2006 and was extradited by the US to his homeland in April, according to the indictment from the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office took bribes of more than $30 million from Brazil’s Odebrecht construction company in exchange for providing it with the concession to build the second and third stretches of the Interoceanic Highway.
The Public Ministry says that part of that money was allegedly transferred to Ecoteva.
To date, the case has remained open since 2017 at the request of Judge Mario Guerra Bonifacio, who ruled that Karp and Toledo should be held in custody for 18 months.
The Peruvian judiciary requests prison terms of 16 years and eight months for the crime of money-laundering.
EFE pbc/gdl/bp
