Congress will first have to debate whether to lift Fujimori's immunity so that he can formally face the charges

Attorney-General's Office

The former president was sacked last November by congress, which said he was morally unfit to govern after he fled to Japan, where he remains, amid scandals over his fugitive spy chief.

If congress votes to lift Mr Fujimori's immunity, he could be banned from public office for a decade and may also face a two-year prison sentence.

Protesters are demanding all videos be made public

But he has no apparent plans to return to Peru from Japan, and the two countries have no extradition treaty.

It also remains unclear whether congress, split between supporters and opponents of Mr Fujimori, will debate his case.

In January, the former president agreed to co-operate with the investigation, but has ruled out returning to Peru until his name has been cleared and his safety guaranteed.

Japan has declared Mr Fujimori, the son of Japanese immigrants to Peru, a Japanese national, allowing him to remain in the country indefinitely.

Videos

Peru's permanent congressional committee made its dramatic decision by a 13-8 majority, broadcast live on television.

The session included more videotaped evidence showing Mr Fujimori's intelligence chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, apparently plotting with a top election official to keep the president in power.

Mr Fujimori's downfall was precipitated by the release of a videotape showing Mr Montesinos allegedly bribing an opposition politician.

Mr Montesinos, meanwhile, has disappeared without trace.

Montesinos: Spy chief who went to ground

He is being investigated on charges ranging from running death squads to money laundering.

Amongst a range of alleged offences. Mr Fujimori is said to have diverted millions of dollars of state funds into secret overseas bank accounts.

"We are working on widening the charges to include ex-President Fujimori for all the charges that Montesinos also faces," said Jose Ugaz, the lawyer investigating the shadowy aide.