"The prosecution's request is well-founded," said judge Romualdo Aguedo during an online hearing, validating the ban on leaving the territory of four oil company officials, including the president of Repsol Peru, the Spaniard Jaime Fernandez-Cuesta Luca de Tena.
The latter will be investigated as the alleged "author" of the offense of "aggravated environmental pollution" against the Peruvian State, punishable by four to six years in prison, and the three other officials Peruvians as "accomplices", according to the prosecution.
"We will continue to cooperate fully with any criminal investigation, as we do with the ongoing preliminary investigation," responded the Spanish group from Madrid in an email sent to AFP.
“Our main concern is the cleaning of the environment. Repsol is concentrating all its efforts in the cleaning works with the utmost speed to progress in the cleaning of the affected areas,” the group added.
The prosecution also said it was "necessary" to investigate the possible responsibilities of leaders of Peruvian public institutions overseeing maritime and oil operations.
On January 15, 6,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the sea during the unloading of a tanker at a refinery, owned by Repsol, and located on the coast in the center of the country, north of Lima.
The oil slick was pushed by currents up to 140 north of the refinery.
It has led to the death of thousands of fish and seabirds and put hundreds of artisanal fishermen out of work.
In the middle of the austral summer, the tourist sector of the area is also hit hard.
According to the government, more than 180 hectares of coastline have been contaminated, as well as 713 hectares of maritime area.
The refinery blames heavy swells at sea that day after the powerful volcanic eruption in the Tonga Islands caused a tsunami in the Pacific and say Peruvian maritime authorities failed to issue a warning.
© 2022 AFP