A U.S. judge blocked Peru’s former President Alejandro Toledo’s extradition for two weeks on charges of taking millions in bribes in a continent-wide corruption scandal.
Although a lower court and appellate judge dismissed Toledo’s request to delay his return to Peru, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco gave him a 14-day reprieve late Thursday.
Toledo, 77, can appeal to the courts longer.
Toledo, Peru’s 2001–2006 president, is wanted for receiving over $25 million in Odebrecht bribes to obtain public works contracts.
Odebrecht charged three more former Peruvian presidents.
South American prosecutors are seeking roughly 20 years for Toledo. He denies bribery.
The former president and defense team were unreachable by Reuters.
Toledo’s 2019 U.S. arrest followed Peru’s extradition request.
