LIMA, Peru (AP) 鈥� Police in raided the homes Friday of the now-resigned elections chief and five other officials in an investigation into a ballot shortage and other irregularities in the first round of the on April 12.
Agents and prosecutors also raided the home of the legal representative of Galaga, a private company responsible for transporting election ballots to voting centers, anti-corruption police said on social media. Agents gathered mobile phones, documents and other evidence in the raids, police said.
Piero Corvetto on Tuesday to take responsibility for the election shortcomings, and said in a letter to authorities that he was stepping down to 鈥済enerate more confidence鈥� in the on June 7.
But Corvetto denied any wrongdoing.
Corvetto鈥檚 lawyer, Ricardo S谩nchez, told a local radio station that Judge Manuel Chuyo had ordered the raid but rejected a prosecutorial request to take his client into custody.
The April 12 election had to be extended for an additional day after the agency failed to deliver voting materials to more than a dozen centers in Lima, a problem that prevented more than 52,000 people from casting their ballots on time.
The incident sparked criticism, most notably from the ultraconservative candidate who claimed, without providing evidence, that an 鈥渆lectoral fraud unique in the world鈥� occurred in Peru, while labeling Corvetto a 鈥渃riminal鈥� and vowing to pursue him 鈥渦ntil he dies.鈥�
An electoral mission from the European Union urged political actors to refrain from violent rhetoric and has ruled out any indications of fraud.
With 95.1% of the ballots tallied, Keiko Fujimori, the conservative daughter of , was leading the vote count on Friday with 17.05%, followed by nationalist Roberto S谩nchez with 12.03%, and L贸pez Aliaga with 11.90%.
The Electoral Tribunal on Friday rejected demands for supplementary elections at polling stations affected by the logistical failures, labeling the move 鈥渦nfeasible.鈥� Though the request was spearheaded by L贸pez Aliaga and backed by Fujimori as 鈥渞easonable,鈥� the tribunal urged all parties to act 鈥渞esponsibly,鈥� reminding them that the electoral process has not concluded.
Peru鈥檚 electoral tribunal has to officially declare which two candidates will advance to the presidential runoff.
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