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Lima, Apr 27 (RHC) The National Justice Board (JNJ), opened a preliminary investigation on Wednesday on Peru's National Prosecutor, Patricia Benavides, for having improperly received an award from the mayor of Lima, Rafael López Aliaga.

The investigation responds to a complaint that considers illegal and a conflict of interests that the controversial prosecutor accepted last March to receive the Medal of Lima, considering that López Aliaga is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office for possible money laundering.

The distinction was considered a sort of tacit recognition of Benavides for her contribution to the fall, last December, of President Pedro Castillo, to whom she opened numerous investigations celebrated by the president's detractors.

Complainants Gino Roman, director of the Center for Citizen Protection-Equidad, and Hilario Rosales claim that the award socially delegitimizes Benavides' public function and authority as Attorney General.

After the preliminary investigation, the JNJ will decide whether to initiate a sanction process, for which it needs to establish whether the prosecutor "incurred in functional misconduct".

The board gave Benavides a term of 10 working days to submit a written report and the evidence she deems pertinent (Source: Prensa Latina).