Professor José Ugaz is a criminal lawyer by training and is a senior partner of Benites, Vargas & Ugaz law firm. He is also a Professor of Criminal Law at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.
Professor Ugaz has been active in the anti-corruption movement, serving in different positions. In 2002, he was the first President of PROETICA, Transparency International’s (TI) chapter in Peru, became an Individual Member of the Board of Directors of TI in 2008, and in 2014 was elected Chair of the International Board of Directors of TI. Professor Ugaz served as Ad-Hoc State Attorney of Peru in several corruption cases. During the Fujimori-Montesinos affair (2000-2002), his office opened more than 200 cases against 1,500 members of the Fujimori network. Under his mandate, USD 205 million in assets were frozen abroad and USD 75 million were recovered.
Professor Ugaz was a member of the UN Peacekeeping Mission and the UN Election Observer Mission for El Salvador, and from 2004-2006 served at the World Bank’s Institutional Integrity Office, the World Bank’s anti-corruption unit. He studied at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and is a member of the Anticorruption Working Group of the American Society/Council of the Americas, and of the Integrity Commission of the Lima Chamber of Commerce. Professor Ugaz has authored the books Prensa Juzgada, Caiga quien Caiga, Prueba Ilícita y Lucha contra la Corrupción, Delitos económicos, contra la administración pública y criminalidad organizada, and Gran Corrupción y Derechos Humanos.