Prosecutor calls for leftist candidate to be jailed for five years and four months over false financial disclosures.
Listen Listen (2 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebook x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Left-wing presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez addresses the media in Lima, Peru, on April 30, 2026 [Angela Ponce/ Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 13 May 2026 13 May 2026 Peru’s public prosecutor’s office has accused leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez of financial crimes, calling for him to be imprisoned for five years and four months.
The charges, unsealed on Tuesday, came hours after electoral authorities confirmed Sanchez was on track to advance to the country’s presidential run-off , scheduled for June 7.
Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Peru’s election chief steps down amid chaotic general election list 2 of 4 Top ministers quit after Peru’s president postpones F-16 fighter jet deal list 3 of 4 Peru probes trafficking of citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine list 4 of 4 Peru says presidential election results due by mid-May after delayed count end of list According to the El Comercio newspaper, prosecutors allege that Sanchez, who is the candidate of the Juntos por el Peru (Together for Peru) party, filed false financial disclosures with the National Office of Electoral Processes related to campaign contributions between 2018 and 2020.
Prosecutors say Sanchez and his brother, William Sanchez, received more than 280,000 Peruvian soles ($81,720) in contributions and membership fees that were never disclosed in the party’s financial filings.
Sanchez is also accused of making false statements in administrative proceedings.
In addition to the jail term, prosecutors were also seeking a “permanent disqualification” of Sanchez from holding the office of president for the Juntos por el Peru party, according to El Comercio.
Sanchez’s lawyer rejected the accusations, telling local outlet RPP that the party’s treasurer, not Sanchez, was responsible for its financial filings.
A judge is expected to decide on May 27 whether the case will go to trial.
The charges emerged as vote counting from last month’s first-round election showed Sanchez advancing to a run-off against conservative rival Keiko Fujimori.
Advertisement With 99.76 percent of ballots counted, Fujimori, the daughter of late former President Alberto Fujimori and a four-time presidential candidate, held a commanding lead with 17.17 percent of the vote.
Sanchez, running with the backing of jailed former President Pedro Castillo, stood at 12 percent, narrowly ahead of ultra-conservative former Lima Mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga at 11.91 percent, a margin of roughly 15,000 votes.
The final result is expected by May 15.
