Peru judge defers decision on jailing Keiko Fujimori

A Peruvian court postponed a ruling on a prosecutor's demand to put opposition leader Keiko Fujimori in preventive detention for 36 months, which she called a conspiracy to "bury" her presidential hopes.

Anti-corruption prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez had asked the court to hold Fujimori and 11 others for the lengthy period as his team investigates who benefited from millions of dollars in campaign bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

However, Sunday's hearing was adjourned by Judge Richard Concepcion Carhuancho after defense lawyers said the prosecution had failed to hand over requested documents, and would need more time to make their case.

The judge said he would give "24 hours to the prosecution to comply with the request" and then call a new hearing.

Fujimori, leader of the opposition Popular Force party, left the courthouse smiling and waving to photographers beside her husband, Mark Vito.

"Prison is for the guilty, not for the accused," she told a press conference Sunday night.

"How do they expect us to defend ourselves if we still do not know what we are accused of?" Fujimori added.

The judge, however, rejected her lawyer's demand that he recuse himself so the case could be transferred to another court.

He is the same judge that earlier this month allowed Lopez's request to hold Fujimori in preventive detention for 10 days.