Peruvian President Balcázar contracts own lawyer, sparking conflict‑of‑interest controversy

President José María Balcázar hired his personal attorney Odar Jimmy Cornejo Custodio through a service order from the Office of Legal Advice of the Presidential Office for S/30 000 to provide specialized legal advice for 90 days. The contract was signed just weeks after his administration took office.

During the same period, Cornejo Custodio continued to represent Balcázar in a criminal trial concerning the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Lambayeque Bar Association. Legal experts said the simultaneous public contract and private defense “constitutes a clear conflict of interest” and could amount to the crime of incompatible negotiation. One specialist warned that, if proved, the arrangement could be investigated as a collusion offence, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

The report also highlighted the appointment of Diego Cornejo Cachay, the 24‑year‑old nephew of the president’s lawyer, as sub‑prefect of Chiclayo, raising further questions about nepotistic practices within the new government.