The former chief of staff for Peru’s president was caught with his metaphorical trousers down when investigators found he’d hidden $20,000 in a palace bathroom.
Prosecutors in Peru report that they found $20,000 stored in the bathroom of former chief of staff Bruno Pacheco. The prosecutors had raided the presidential palace, occupied by Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of influence peddling.
Pacheco told investigators that the money was his but denied any wrongdoing. He claims the money was a combination of his savings and salary, reports the BBC.
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According to official documents, Pacheco earned a monthly salary of 25,000 soles, or $6,250.
Pacheco resigned from the office on Nov. 19 after being accused of mismanaging military promotions and requesting favors for third parties from the Superintendency of Taxes and Customs. The resignation was not in relation to any wrongdoing, Pacheco claims. Instead, Pacheco asserted that it was to protect President Castillo “so that the president won’t be touched by this smear campaign.”
“I leave with my head held high and with the certainty that I will prove my innocence,” he wrote in a statement.
Hours later, prosecutor Marco Huaman and a team of anti-corruption police raided the palace as part of an investigation into the allegations. This raid led to the discovery of the $20,000 in the bathroom.
Former military officials demanded Pacheco’s resignation on Oct. 8, alleging that the former chief of staff had pressured them to promote three officers linked to the head of state to the rank of general.
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Castillo named a new chief of staff on Tuesday to replace Pacheco.
Castillo, a populist socialist and schoolteacher, was inaugurated as president in July 2021 after winning the election with 50% of the vote.
