LIMA, April 24 - Peruvian police entered the home of Piero Corvetto, the recently resigned head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), on Friday under a judicial warrant as part of an expanding investigation into alleged irregularities tied to the April 12 general election.
Local media footage showed officers conducting the search at Corvetto’s residence in the Miraflores district of Lima. Authorities said the operation formed part of a broader effort that included searches at as many as 12 buildings across the capital.
The public prosecutor’s office said the raids were executed by the anti-corruption police unit in coordination with prosecutors who are leading the probe into the handling of the vote count. Prosecutor Raul Martinez, identified by local broadcasters, ordered seizure of mobile phones, laptops and documents from Corvetto’s home, according to reporting from local outlets.
Corvetto stepped down earlier this week, saying his resignation was "necessary and unavoidable" to help restore public confidence in the electoral process after logistical failures contributed to prolonged delays both at polling stations and in the release of results. In his resignation letter he denied any wrongdoing and urged that any unresolved matters be resolved through an impartial investigation.
Observers from the European Union have said they found no evidence of fraud in the election, a finding cited by election officials even as multiple candidates and segments of the public have voiced fraud allegations following the slow counting process.
Electoral authorities have started a review of thousands of contested ballots where tally sheets showed inconsistencies or errors, a procedure that has added further delays to reaching final results. ONPE reported that as of Friday morning about 95% of votes had been tallied.
According to the official count at that stage, conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori led the vote with roughly 17% of ballots. The contest for second place remained narrowly divided between left-wing lawmaker Roberto Sanchez and former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, with Sanchez ahead by roughly 20,000 votes.
Peru’s National Jury of Elections has set a deadline of May 15 to announce final results, ahead of a scheduled presidential runoff currently planned for June 7.
Context and procedural notes
The searches and seizures are part of a prosecutorial inquiry focused on the administration and transparency of the recent electoral process. Officials have not charged Corvetto with a crime in public statements issued alongside the description of the ongoing probe. The investigation is centered on gathering materials and evidence relevant to questions about the vote-counting and logistical operations during the April 12 election.
Meanwhile, election authorities continue to adjudicate contested ballots and reconcile tally sheet discrepancies before finalizing an official result.
What remains unresolved
- Investigators have not released a timetable for concluding the probe or for any potential charges linked to the probe.
- Final nationwide results remain pending as contested ballots are reviewed and the electoral authority works toward the May 15 deadline.