Peru attorney general hit by high-profile corruption case involving Odebrecht

Peru Attorney General Pedro Chavarry said he would resign on Tuesday amid a mounting public outcry over his handling of the high-profile corruption investigation involving Brazilian builder Odebrecht. Chavarry´s decision comes little more than a week after he dismissed two lead prosecutors from the inquiry, a move that prompted widespread scorn and a threat from President Martin Vizcarra to suspend him.

Chavarry denied accusations that he was trying to meddle in the investigation and later reinstated the two prosecutors, both admired in Peru as anti-corruption crusaders. But the reversal was not enough to placate many Peruvians, who have continued to protest Chavarry´s leadership. Late on Monday night, Chavarry said in a statement he would present his resignation from Peru´s Public Ministry Tuesday at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT) out of "respect for my institution."

Chavarry´s decision marks a key victory for President Vizcarra, who last week sent Congress legislation to suspend Chavarry from his post. Vizcarra, who took office to replace former president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski after his resignation due to a graft scandal last year, has made fighting corruption a focus of his government. The two prosecutors initially dismissed by Chavarry, Rafael Vela and Jose Domingo Perez, are seen as pivotal figures in the Odebrecht investigation.

The two had recently drawn up a plea deal that committed the Brazilian construction company to provide evidence on about $30 million in bribes it acknowledges it paid to local politicians. Odebrecht is at the centre of the "Car Wash" investigation in Brazil, which has rippled across Latin America and which U.S. prosecutors have said is the biggest political graft scheme ever uncovered. In 2016, Odebrecht acknowledged it had paid millions of dollars in bribes to officials in a dozen countries to secure public works contracts dating back over a decade. The company has committed to paying billions of dollars in fines.

(With inputs from agencies.)