2023-10-14 13:07:02
Patricia Benavides traveled to three continents in just over a year following taking office as Attorney General.
Consumption of Swiss chocolates, five-star hotels and gourmet food valued at hundreds of soles for each dish. These have been the luxurious benefits that the Attorney General, Patricia Benavides, obtained during her trips to 11 countries on at least three continents. This in just over a year since she assumed the top position within the Public Ministry, according to an investigation by the weekly Hildebrant in its Trece.
Her first destination abroad was Chile, the country of origin of her spouse, Luis Espinoza Quiroz, a construction businessman. On August 25, he arrived at the southern destination to stay until the 30th of the same month.
Once there, his travel expenses amounted to $4,806 for tickets, hotel and travel insurance. Benavides said that his office received the invitation from the national prosecutor of the Public Ministry of Chile, Jorge Abbot Cahrmen, to “discuss the problems of transnational organized crime.”
Already in Santiago, she and her husband stayed for the entire weekend at the five-star NH Collection hotel, located in Vitacura, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the city. She paid S/800 a night for her VIP room. The lodging bill cost the State S/3,952.
Benavides did not include restaurant or mobility bills in the accounting. He opted for a simple sworn statement to justify 1,000 soles in food and S/ 708 in transportation expenses, even though he might obtain proof of payment and the regulations of the Public Ministry indicate that prosecutors who travel abroad can only support with a sworn statement. up to 20% of the expenses, but only if there are no invoices at the destination.
Then, in September 2022, Patricia Benavides received an invitation from the European Union for an “international internship” in Spain along with members of the National Board of Justice and the Academy of Judiciary. On this trip she was in Barcelona and Madrid for eight days with everything paid for by the hosts, hotel included. Even so, the Public Ministry gave him USD1,080 for “installation expenses.”
Upon his return to Peru, Benavides prepared a brief two-paragraph report of his trip.
A month following this journey, Patricia Benavides went to the United States sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to participate in a three-day human trafficking workshop. Her report was also quite concise.
In November he went to Asia thanks to an invitation from the United Nations to participate in an event on wildlife trafficking. Although the organizing institution once once more covered the expenses, the Prosecutor’s Office allocated USD 4,577 for “other additional expenses.”
On this trip she stayed at the five-star Pullman hotel, where it had “award-winning bars and restaurants, modern spas, dance halls and the largest pool in Bangkok.” Benavides extended his stay at the hotel an extra day, so the last night was at the expense of the Prosecutor’s Office.
Upon his return, he stopped in Amsterdam, stopped by a souvenir shop and decided on delicious waffles, gouda cheese and hazelnut chocolates, which resulted in a bill of S/ 281 on behalf of the Prosecutor’s Office.
Attorney of the Nation, Patricia Benavides
In February 2023, Patricia Benavides traveled with the supreme deputy prosecutor Marco Huamán and the provincial prosecutor Ricardo Dulanto in order to investigate the businesswoman Sada Goray, now in jail. According to the accounting, Benavides stayed at the Holiday Inn Port, a hotel overlooking Biscayne Bay. The accommodation bills totaled USD 451.
In addition, the expenses without receipts for the trip to Miami amounted to S/ 1,037. Despite this absence of receipts, there is a record of the purchase in the Duty Free souvenir store, CVS Pharmacy, where he purchased gummies and chocolates for S/ 236.
In March of this year Benavides returned to Europe. On this occasion his tour included Spain, Switzerland and the Principality of Andorra. In this case it was an initiative of the Attorney General herself, so the 7-day tour was borne exclusively by the Public Ministry, which amounted to $8,500.
There he took the opportunity to visit the “Turrón 1880” house in Madrid, the most expensive nougat company in the world, which translated into a bill of S/ 452. Additionally, in Madrid, he stayed at the five-star NH Collection hotel. Two nights totaled S/ 2,127.
For his days in Barcelona he opted for the four-star HCC Hotels. The bill was S/ 1,625 for two nights.
On May 10, he flew to Argentina for two days with a per diem bag of USD 3,110. The Prosecutor enjoyed a S/ 403 menu at a luxurious grill and ribs restaurant.
On the night of March 15, I was already in the city of Bern, Switzerland. Benavides passed by a Wine Bar where he made purchases for S / 243. Hours before he bought the famous Swiss chocolates, whose bill amounted to S / 561. On this occasion he opted for Peruvian and Argentine restaurants.
He also visited Yakumanka, Gastón Acurio’s restaurant, and ordered a lomo saltado with salted noodles. The bill was S / 227. And the next day she tasted an Argentine grill with fries, pancakes, tiramisu and cocktail included for S / 268.
“And before taking the flight back to Lima, she completed the ritual of stopping by a Duty Free store and filling her bag with sweets. The bill totaled S/ 437 in chocolates and candies,” says the weekly report.
This time Patricia Benavides did not document with receipts the expenses for a total amount of S/ 3,343.
On May 10, Benavides returned to Argentina for two days and was assigned USD 3,110. The excuse was to participate in the XXXIII Specialized Meeting of Public Ministries of Mercosur. He spared no expense and savored a S/403 menu at a luxurious barbecue and ribs restaurant.
“In mid-June he returned to Spain for a ‘digital justice study trip’. Eight days with everything paid for by the hosts. And on June 26 he traveled to Punta Cana for two days to participate in the Thirtieth Ordinary General Assembly of the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries. On August 15, she was once once more ready to set sail for Salvador de Bahía (Brazil) with the travel package sponsored by Mercosur to a meeting of Public Ministries of the region,” H13 explained.
While the expenses of the National Prosecutor’s Office are being revealed, his lawyer Aníbal Quiroga pointed out that the precautionary measure in favor of his client to paralyze the investigations of the National Board of Justice (JNJ) was never annulled.
Patricia Benavides’ lawyer questioned the JNJ judges for lack of “impartiality.” Video: RPP News.
“What the judge understands is that in these procedures carried out so quickly and without the basic rules of due process by the National Board of Justice, they show an existence of bias and an advancement of opinion and without the rules of due process. process and that is why it suspends the procedures until there is a final decision,” he indicated.
The lawyer asserted that the judges of the JNJ, Inés Tello and Aldo Vásquez, “have a clear bias and in these last three days the feverish activity of the Board to advance the processes has been noted despite the fact that the new resolution of the court”.
Finally, he pointed out that the head of the Public Ministry will be responsible for all investigations in the JNJ when it is made up of magistrates who demonstrate total impartiality in their work. “It is your constitutional right,” she emphasized.
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