Montesinos accused of new crimes

A special prosecutor in Peru has accused the disgraced former intelligence chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, of heading a criminal organisation with links to drug-traffickers and arms-smugglers.

The prosecutor, Jose Ugaz, said that there were ties between the criminal organisation and agents of the Peruvian National Intelligence Service, the armed forces, the police and members of the judiciary. Mr Ugaz said Mr Montesinos had also tried to transfer about fifty million dollars held in secret bank accounts in Switzerland, but that his attempts had been blocked by the authorities. Mr Montesinos is on the run but still thought to be somewhere in Peru.

He was dismissed after being caught up in a bribery scandal in September which threatens to bring down the Peruvian President, Alberto Fujimori.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service