TEHRAN, October 20 - President Martin Vizcarra swore in a retired police general as Peru's new interior minister Friday to replace Mauro Medina, who resigned after a fugitive supreme court judge fled to Spain.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Carlos Moran took the oath of office in a brief ceremony at the government headquarters as Vizcarra sought to cap a difficult week for his fledgling government.
Medina resigned late Wednesday after it emerged that a fugitive supreme court judge, Cesar Hinostroza -- awaiting trial in a cash-for-leniency scandal embroiling Peru's judiciary -- had slipped out of the country and fled to Spain.
"This is an embarrassing situation for the country," his Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva admitted in a statement to Congress about the judge's escape.
Hinostroza was sacked by Congress a fortnight ago and was awaiting trial for leading a criminal group inside the country's judiciary.
Vizcarra -- who has made fighting corruption his priority since taking office in March -- announced earlier Friday that Spain had placed Hinostroza in detention and was preparing his extradition.
Moran, the new minister, was a member of a special police unit that captured the leader of the Shining Path guerrillas in 1992.
Source: AFP
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