Son of ex-president sentenced in Peru vote-buying plot

LIMA, Peru (AP) — A former Peruvian congressman who is the son of ex-President Alberto Fujimori was sentenced Tuesday to four and a half years in prison for influence trafficking, though he will remain free pending appeal.

Kenji Fujimori, who is also the brother of political leader Keiko Fujimori, was found guilty of a plot to buy votes in Congress in 2018 to avoid the removal of then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.

A branch of the Supreme Court handed down the ruling, but said he would remain free pending an appeal to another branch of the court.

The court said Kenji Fujimori was seeking to block the ouster of Kuczynski over allegations of corruption involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. Two other former congressmen and a congressional aide were also convicted, with their sentences temporarily stayed.