LIMA, Peru (AP) – A Peruvian judge has ordered the arrest of former President Ollanta Humala and his wife as they face money laundering and conspiracy charges tied to a construction scandal involving Brazilian company Odebrecht.
The ruling Thursday night authorizing 18 months of detention for Humala and wife Nadine Heredia came after prosecutors argued the couple could flee Peru to evade justice.
The same judge previously ordered the arrest of another former Peruvian president, Alejandro Toledo, for related charges. Toledo is in the U.S. fighting attempts by Peruvian authorities to have him deported to answer the charges.
Authorities across Latin America have been moving to charge officials accused of taking some $800 million in bribes from Odebrecht. The giant construction company acknowledged the bribes when it signed a plea agreement in December with the U.S. Justice Department.
The bribes include some $29 million paid in Peru for projects built during the administrations of Toledo, Humala and former President Alan Garcia.