Peru's Finance Minister Alfredo Thorne attends the Thomson Reuters Economic and Financial Forum in Lima, Peru November 3, 2016. REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo - RTX2RRKX
LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's opposition-controlled Congress called on Finance Minister Alfredo Thorne to answer questions on Thursday over accusations that he improperly tried to influence an airport contract, but the minister said he was too busy working to attend the hearing.
Earlier this month local television station Panamericana released a recording of Thorne appearing to ask Edgar Alarcon, head of the comptroller's office, to greenlight the contract for an airport near Cusco. Thorne is heard asking him to approve a $520 million (407.5 million pounds) airport contract in exchange for a bigger budget.
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