Peru Congress investigates alleged prostitution ring in legislature

The Peruvian Congress summoned to testify a former official suspected of having set up an alleged prostitution ring in the legislature, according to a newspaper report.

The main suspect in this alleged organization is the former head of the Legal and Constitutional Office of the Peruvian Congress, lawyer Jorge Torres.

He rejected the accusations during questioning by a parliamentary oversight committee investigating the scandal in parallel with the public prosecutor's office.

He said he had no connection to sexual workers providing services to members of congress, "much less that these services have been used to generate votes in favor of a bill."

The scandal erupted after the murder of lawyer Andrea Vidal, 28, who was an advisor to Torres until she was fired in September. Vidal died in a hospital on December 17 after she was shot along with the driver of the taxi in which she was traveling.