Former Peru president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has according to reports from AFP, passed away. He was urgently taken to hospital on Wednesday as he was said to be suffering from high blood pressure, lawmaker Gilbert Violeta said.

Violeta told RPP radio station the 80-year-old was being treated in intensive care.

He is due to have a cardiac catheter fitted to examine his heart.

Kuczynski was arrested last week and was being held under 10-day preliminary detention until April 20, accused of money laundering.

He is one of four ex-presidents embroiled in various corruption scandals linked to Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht — alongside Ollanta Humala (2011-16) Alan Garcia (1985-90 and 2006-11) and Alejandro Toledo (2001-06).

Garcia died in hospital on Wednesday after shooting himself in the head at his home as police were about to arrest him over the graft investigation.

The public prosecutor accuses Kuczynski of passing laws to favour Odebrecht when he was finance minister during Toledo’s government.

The former Peru president Alan Garcia has been reported dead, he was reportedly died in hospital on Wednesday after shooting himself in the head at his home as police were about to arrest him in a graft investigation, a party official said.

“Alan Garcia has died, long live Apra,” said Omar Quesada, the general secretary of Garcia’s American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (Apra) party.

(AFP)