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Peru president, opposition leader questioned in corruption case

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Lima, Dec 29 (IANS) Preu President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and his main rival, Keiko Fujimori, have been questioned by prosecutors investigating the corruption scandal that has dominated Peruvian politics in 2017.

While prosecutors met Kuczynski at the presidential palace, Fujimori — the daughter of disgraced former President Alberto Fujimori — reported to the Attorney General’s Office for her interrogation on Thursday, Efe news reported.

Their cases are not directly linked, but both have to do with the activities in Peru of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has acknowledged paying $788 million in bribes to obtain government contracts in a dozen countries.

Kuczynski, accompanied by his attorney, spent four hours answering questions about payments from Odebrecht to his financial-consulting business.

The firm, Westfield Capital Ltd., received more than $782,000 from Odebrecht between 2004 and 2007, a period when Kuczynski served as economy minister and prime minister in the 2001-2006 administration of President Alejandro Toledo.

When word of those payments became public two weeks, Keiko Fujimori’s Popular Force, which has a majority in Congress, pushed to impeach Kuczynski for having lied when he denied any connections to Odebrecht.

The President addressed Congress last Thursday before the vote on the impeachment motion, telling lawmakers that during his tenure with the Toledo administration, he turned over management of Westfield to then-business partner Gerardo Sepulveda, and that it was the latter who signed the consulting contract with Odebrecht.

Kuczynski said that he was unaware at the time of the work for Odebrecht, as he had erected a “Chinese wall” between himself and Westfield’s operations.

The impeachment bid failed, thanks to the votes of Kenji Fujimori — Keiko’s younger brother – and nine other dissident Popular Force legislators.

At the AG Office, Keiko Fujimori, who lost to Kuczynski in the 2016 presidential runoff, submitted to five hours of questioning about allegations that Popular Force received illegal campaign contributions from Odebrecht over the course of a decade.

The Odebrecht scandal has implicated Peru’s major political parties and every presidential administration going back to 2005.

–IANS
pgh/

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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