Peru’s former president kills self to avoid arrest

Alan García, a former Peruvian president, has killed himself to avoid being arrested by the police. 

García, who had been accused of bribery, reportedly shot himself in the head as police arrived his house to arrest him. 

Martin Vizcarra, Peruvian president, confirmed García’s death in a tweet on Wednesday. 

“Dismayed by the death of former President Alan García. I send my condolences to your family and loved ones,” the president tweeted. 

Carlos Morán, the country’s minister of interior, told journalists that the former president asked to make phone call when the police arrived to arrest him. 

He said the police forced the door open when they heard a gunshot from inside, and found García with a bullet lodged in his head. 

The former president was rushed to the hospital where he suffered cardiac arrests and eventually died.

García who served two terms as president– 1986 to 1990 and 2006 to 2011— was accused of taking kickbacks from Odebrecht during his second term. 

Odebrecht is a Brazilian conglomerate that has projects across the world. The company built infrastructures for the 2016 Olympics and 2014 World Cup in Peru.  

The former president, however, said there were no evidences to prove this and he was a victim of political prosecution.