Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra addresses the media outside Congress as he faces a second indictment on allegations of corruption in Lima, Peru, November 9, 2020. REUTERS / Sebastian Castaneda / File Photo
Former Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra was banned from holding public office for 10 years in a unanimous vote by the country’s congress after he jumped his tail to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Vizcarra was found guilty of trafficking in influence, complicity and making false statements about the Peruvian VIP Vaccines scandal, which saw dozens of ministers and public officials receive Sinopharm vaccines before they were publicly available in the country. Read more
Congress approved his temporary ban from public office with 86 votes in favor and zero against.
He also disqualified former Minister of Health Pilar Mazzetti from public office for eight years; and former Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astete for a year.
Both former ministers received the vaccine and resigned during the subsequent scandal. However, all three denied using their positions to gain early access to vaccines.
Vizcarra said in February that he and his wife had been inoculated in October last year as volunteers for the Sinopharm trial (1099.HK) in Peru – a request rejected by the university hosting the trial.
The former president took office in March 2018 with a promise to reduce endemic corruption in public office and led the country until he was indicted by Congress in November last year on separate corruption charges, which he continues to reject.
He was to run for a seat in Congress after the Peruvian elections over the weekend, after obtaining the highest number of votes cast for any legislator.
Sinopharm clinical trials in Peru took place between September and the end of 2020 with approximately 12,000 volunteers. In addition, local study managers received an additional 3,200 doses for research-related staff, said host university Cayetano Heredia.
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