Fujimori allies arrested in Peru

The political scandal sparked widespread protests

Police in Peru have arrested two more close associates of former President Alberto Fujimori.

Peruvians want former president Fujimori to stand trial

Former attorney general Blanca Nelida Colan stands accused of complicity with disgraced former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos.

The former head of Mr Fujimori's election office, Jose Portillo, has been detained on suspicion of falsifying one million voters' signatures during last year's elections.

Mr Fujimori, who is currently in voluntary exile in Japan, resigned during a corruption investigation following his election to a third term of office.

Ms Colan had already been under house arrest, but she is now being held in prison.

The charges accuse her of issuing decrees protecting Mr Montesinos when Mr Fujimori was in power.

Fled

Scandal engulfed the Fujimori presidency in September 2000, when a video was released showing Mr Montesinos apparently offering a $15,000 to a congressman.

Mr Montesinos fled Peru, and shortly afterwards President Fujimori took refuge in Japan.

He was stripped of the presidency by a vote in Congress, and Peru has since been governed by a transitional government.

Mr Montesinos was discovered hiding in Venezuela, and returned to Peru at the end of June.

He faces accusations ranging from murder, drugs trafficking and corruption.

Ex-President Fujimori has denied any implication in his former closest assessor's alleged corrupt practices.

Fresh presidential and congressional elections were held in June, and President-elect Alejandro Toledo will take office on 28 July.