LIMA - Peru’s President Dina Boluarte slammed a scandal over her use of luxury watches and pricey designer jewellery on April 5, saying the items were loaned to her, but she did admit exercising bad judgment.

This comes a week after police raided her home and office on suspicion of corruption.

The scandal marked the latest political crisis for Ms Boluarte, who took over after her predecessor was removed from office and jailed.

The President has struggled to boost a sluggish economy, which was once one of South America’s star performers.

She has replaced nearly a third of her ministers following abrupt resignations, which included the interior minister who oversees the national police.

Ms Boluarte faced questioning by prosecutors for nearly five hours earlier on April 5, focusing on allegations of illicit enrichment over how she obtained several Rolex watches and other jewellery that seemed at odds with her modest public salary.

In comments from the national palace after her closed-door testimony, she said all the watches except one were lent to her by a friend, who Ms Boluarte said had hoped they would reflect well on the country if she wore them.

“It was an error to accept as a loan those watches from my friend,” the President said, adding that she had already returned the watches that she borrowed.

Regarding allegations that she owned a pricey designer bracelet and necklace, Ms Boluarte said the items in question were less expensive costume jewellery she had purchased years ago.

Deriding the investigation as a “lie” and a “smoke screen”, she urged prosecutors to be more professional.

Ms Boluarte escaped the start of impeachment proceedings on April 4 after Congress rejected two motions put forward by leftist lawmakers, largely thanks to support from conservative and right-wing politicians who say they want to avoid another crisis.

Sworn in as president by Congress, Ms Boluarte was vice-president to the democratically elected former president Pedro Castillo, a leftist who was ousted in 2022.

In 2023, she sought unsuccessfully to move up elections in a bid to calm tensions after facing fierce protests that left dozens dead, with many casualties from marginalised indigenous communities.

She faces a separate ongoing investigation over her role in those deaths. REUTERS