Congress: Fuerza Popular does not rule out questioning the new Minister of Justice

A few hours after taking office, the new Minister of Justice, Felix Chero, has been the target of criticism for his past as litigator and worker of the Decentralized Department of Culture of Lambayeque. Faced with these questions, Congressman Fujimorist Arturo Alegría pointed out that this would not be the right person to occupy the top position of such an important portfolio.

“We have seen how they have changed ministers of justice, they have put someone who again seems that this government always chooses the worst official to be able to manage a portfolio,” he told RPP Noticias. It should be recalled that his predecessor, Ángel Yldefonso, lasted just over a month in office and had to face an interpellation process before Congress.

Appealing to his oversight work, the congressman said that he does not rule out having to call Minister Chero to Congress to answer for the accusations that weigh on him. “If we have to present an interpellation to the Minister of Justice again, we will have to do it because we cannot get out of our role of oversight and political control,” Alegría added.

The appointment of Medina is regarded as an affront by the government to the Legislative, the power that gave confidence to the cabinet led by Aníbal Torres a few days ago. “That puts us back (in a situation) as if we are fighting the Congress-Executive, but unfortunately we have to do it (a possible interpellation) because it is part of our job,” he said.

It should be recalled that, according to the Political Constitution of Peru, it is necessary to sign not less than 15% of the legal number of congressmen to make the request for interpellation. Admission requires one-third of the number of skilled representatives. Once this number has been exceeded, the day and time when the authority must appear to respond to the questions of parliamentarians is announced.

DOUBTFUL PAST

For God's sake, for my country, for my family, for unrestricted respect for human rights and for justice in Peru to provide access to Peruvian women without discrimination, he did swear”, were the words with which Felix Chero sealed his appointment as new Minister of Justice; however, his past as a lawyer calls into question the the above - mentioned convictions.

Chero served as an advocate for a convicted person of rape of a minor. The current Minister of Justice was the one who submitted the Habeas corpus to the Constitutional Court so that the aforementioned offender could regain his freedom. However, the TC declared the request inadmissible. His argument was that the conviction had “been issued in violation of the guarantees of criminal proceedings and violating the right to individual liberty of the favored.”

In 2016, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic found administrative responsibility in Félix Chero for the execution of resources for the protection of cultural heritage during its time at the Decentralized Department of Culture of Lambayeque. The report notes that in his capacity as legal adviser to Executing Unit 005: Naylamp Lambayeque, Chero Medina issued a legal report in which he commented on the extension of the term of a work requested by a contractor without warning that the contractor “did not specify the grounds for extension of term or support”, which was contrary to the Law of State Contracts.

“The above facts constitute the alleged functional administrative liability, derived from the unfulfilled duty provided for in the aforementioned regulations; likewise, the alleged civil liability for the economic damage of S/13,190 caused to the entity that can be recovered through administrative channels, giving merit to the initiation of the sanctioning procedure in charge of the entity” is read in the report.

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