BY MICHAEL ZIELENZIGER
 Herald World Staff

 TOKYO -- Peruvian officials expressed bitter disappointment Wednesday upon learning that Japan's Justice Ministry had approved citizenship for Victor Aritomi Shinto, a former Peruvian ambassador to Japan and brother-in-law of self-exiled former President Alberto Fujimori.

 In granting the citizenship request, the Japanese government ignored an international warrant for his arrest. Aritomi is suspected by Lima prosecutors of involvement in an illegal transfer of millions of dollars.

 The decision appeared to all but close the door on Peruvian hopes to extradite the former diplomat in connection with a burgeoning probe involving corruption and abuse of power that led to the fall of the Fujimori government and the flight of the disgraced former president.

 The move significantly damaged Peruvian-Japanese relations, which flourished during Fujimori's regime. It also reinforces Japan's international image as an insular nation that cares little about corruption or human rights abuses overseas.

 ``It's a frustrating decision,'' said Pablo Salamanca, a spokesman for the Peruvian Embassy in Tokyo.

 ``It's very, very regrettable,'' he said.

 In Lima, Rep. Luis Solari, a close ally of president-elect Alejandro Toledo, said, ``There is only one word for this: insult and deception.

 ``And if this stands I am going to end up thinking that we have before us the question of whether this was a contingency plan by Tokyo to protect Fujimori and his family with Japanese nationality.''

 Japanese officials conceded that Aritomi will effectively be safe from prosecution in Peru because Japan's government rarely extradites Japanese citizens to face judicial investigation in other countries.

 Japan has refused to turn over Fujimori, who sought refuge in Japan and also has become a Japanese citizen.

 Officials in Lima had sought to question Aritomi after a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of embezzlement and misuse of public funds.

 They suspect that Aritomi knows about shell corporations the former president might have used to hide assets overseas.

 Noriteru Fukushima, in charge of Peruvian relations at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied that Japan knew that Aritomi was wanted for questioning at home.

 ``We never received any formal request from Peruvian officials for Aritomi's extradition,'' Fukushima said.

 ``We did not receive any extradition request or any formal evidence of criminality.''

                                    © 2001