Peru former president banned from public office

Peru's Congress voted on Thursday, banning former President Martin Vizcarra of taking any public office after a scandal uncovered a network of privileged people who received COVID-19 vaccine ahe of health workers.

Vizcarra is running for a seat in Congress in national elections on April 11.

Representatives will vote again on Saturday, one day before elections, to confirm sanctions against politicians that would ban Vizcarra from holding public office for 10 years.

Former Health Minister Pilar Mazetti would receive an eight-year ban, and former Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astete would be banned for one year.

Last November Vizcarra was removed from presidency by Parliament for a previous corruption scandal.

In February it became known that, in October, while he was still president, he was secretly vaccinated against coronavirus using doses of a vaccine candidate from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm.

Along with Vizcarra, those favoured included his family, n standing foreign and health ministers, Pope Francis' diplomatic representative and several Peruvian diplomats.