According to media reports, officials have searched the property of Peruvian President Boluarte. She is suspected of having illegally enriched herself with luxury watches. The politician speaks of “systematic harassment”.
According to media reports, the judiciary in Peru has had President Dina Boluarte's house searched on suspicion of unlawful enrichment with luxury watches. A judge ordered the raid as part of a tax audit in the so-called Rolex case, the newspaper “El Comercio” reported.
The search warrant therefore applied to Boluarte's property in the Surquillo district of the capital Lima and to a vehicle registered to her. A video published by broadcaster RPP shows police officers breaking down a door with a battering ram.
The head of state is said to have not been at home at the time, but was in the government palace. According to the RPP, several ministers arrived there early in the morning, including the head of the Cabinet of Ministers, Gustavo Adrianzén, who condemned the raid on the president's house.
Police officers leave President Boluarte's house in Lima.
No statement made regarding the origin of the Rolex watches
Boluarte is under preliminary investigation in connection with his possession of a luxury watch collection. The president described the search as “discriminatory and unconstitutional.” “I respect the prosecutor's investigation,” Boluarte said at a news conference. However, she rejects the way in which this is done.
On the advice of her lawyer, Boluarte made no statement about the origin of the Rolex luxury watches. She will clarify the matter before the public prosecutor. She accused the press of “systematic harassment” of her person. “Since when does any part of the press care what a president wears or doesn't wear?” she said. “I hope and want to believe that this is not a sexist or discriminatory issue.”
Attorney General called on the President to cooperate
The president originally stated that she had long owned a Rolex, which she had financed with personal income since she was 18 years old. The media had asked her not to delve into her personal matters.
Attorney General Juan Villena recently criticized Boluarte's request to postpone a court hearing for two weeks. He emphasized the head of state's obligation to cooperate with the investigation. Villena also stressed that Boluarte must present the Rolex watches immediately. He warned them not to discard or destroy them.
Boluarte became Vice President and Minister of Social Inclusion in July 2021. She took office as president in December 2022.
