Martin Vizcarra, a former president of Peru, has been ordered into pre-trial detention by a judge on Wednesday due to allegations of accepting bribes during his tenure as governor over a decade ago.

Judge Jorge Chavez ruled that Vizcarra will be held for five months, making him the fifth former Peruvian president to face imprisonment in recent times. The charges accuse him of receiving around $640,000 from construction firms in exchange for public works contracts in the Moquegua region between 2011 and 2014.

Vizcarra is expected to be transferred to a special detention facility in Lima designed to hold former presidents. This prison already houses several ex-leaders, including Alejandro Toledo, Ollanta Humala, and Pedro Castillo. The facility’s first occupant was Alberto Fujimori, who was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years behind bars for human rights abuses. Fujimori was later pardoned in late 2023, a move that triggered widespread protests, and he passed away from cancer the following year.

Vizcarra has denied all accusations, asserting that he is the target of political persecution. He assumed the presidency in 2018 after his predecessor stepped down, but was removed from office by Congress two years later as investigations into his conduct intensified.

While a previous judge had denied prosecutors’ request to detain him in June, the decision was overturned on appeal amid concerns he might flee. Vizcarra had also planned to run in the 2026 presidential race. His legal team announced they will challenge the detention order.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of up to 15 years. Peru has experienced significant political instability in recent years, with six presidents cycling through the office since 2018 amid ongoing corruption scandals, resignations, and impeachments.