Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on Thursday made a last-ditch effort to stave off impeachment, appearing before lawmakers to deny allegations of corruption linked to disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.
"I came today at your request to confront and expose the false accusation to the country," the 79-year-old told the full session of Congress. Analysts, however, predicted that impeachment later Thursday on grounds of "moral incapacity" appeared inevitable.
The Congress is dominated by the opposition, and the number of lawmakers backing the process exceeds the vote threshold needed in the 130-seat single chamber.
The accusation against Kuczynski is that he lied to cover up $5 million in payments received from Odebrecht that both he and the company insist were for legitimate consulting fees.
The money was received between 2004 and 2013, a period in part of which Kuczynski was economy minister and head of cabinet for then-president Alejandro Toledo. Odebrecht has admitted to paying millions of dollars in bribes to officials in several Latin American countries to secure lucrative and inflated public works contracts.
It has said it paid $20 million in kickbacks to Toledo, whom Peru wants extradited from the United States to face charges.
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