Peru president calls on Spain to arrest fugitive judge

Peru's president called on Spain Thursday to arrest a sacked Supreme Court judge who fled the South American country while facing trial over a massive influence peddling scandal that forced the resignation of the interior minister.

Interior Minister Mauro Medina resigned late Wednesday after it became clear the dismissed judge, Cesar Hinostroza, had slipped over the border to Ecuador and boarded a flight to Madrid.

"The criminals will have to answer to justice," President Martin Vizcarra said. "We are sure that Spain will not protect those who are required to face Peruvian justice."

A Spanish foreign ministry source confirmed Hinostroza had entered the country on Wednesday. "We are waiting to receive the requests being processed by the Peruvian authorities," the source told AFP.

Meanwhile, Peruvian authorities stopped Hinostroza's 16-year-old daughter from boarding a flight to Madrid.

The scandal has dogged Vizcarra's government since it broke only months into his term in July, when a website released audio tapes featuring Hinostroza and other judges selling lighter sentences for a price.