LIMA, Peru _ Peru's Constitutional Court ordered the release of former President Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, who were jailed nine months ago pending a trial on money laundering allegations.
The country's highest court ruled in a 4-3 vote to grant the couple's habeas corpus request, paving the way for their immediate release, the court's president, Ernesto Blume, told reporters Thursday in Lima.
Humala, who left office in July 2016, and his wife were jailed last July after prosecutors alleged they laundered money during two election campaigns, including donations from disgraced Brazilian builder Odebrecht SA. The couple haven't been formally charged and deny any wrongdoing.
Their release is the biggest setback yet for prosecutors investigating the so-called Carwash case, which has implicated former Peruvian presidents, ministers and company executives. An appeals court this month revoked the pretrial detention of Jose Grana, the former chairman of Grana y Montero SAA, Peru's biggest builder, after four months in jail.
The head of the national magistrates council, Orlando Velasquez, earlier this year called for a reevaluation of the use of preventive detention orders, which he said violate constitutional rights.
Prosecutors are also seeking the extradition of former President Alejandro Toledo from the U.S. to face trial for alleged graft. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski quit as president of Peru last month after becoming ensnared in Carwash and has been barred from leaving the country.
