Peru takes ex-president's passport amid corruption probe

A Peruvian judge on Saturday barred recently resigned President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski from leaving the South American nation for 18 months while he’s investigated for money laundering. The ruling came a day after congress accepted Kuczynski’s resignation and swore in Vice-President Martin Vizcarra as his successor. Kuczynski, 79, is being probed for some $782,000 in payments his consulting firm received a decade ago from Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant at the heart of Latin America’s biggest-ever bribery scandal. Odebrecht has admitted to paying $800 million in bribes to officials across Latin America including $29 million in Peru.

Kuzynski is the fourth former Peruvian president to be investigated for taking payments from Odebrecht. One is currently in jail while another, Alejandro Toledo, has refused to return to Peru from the U.S. to face charges.