I have a lot of experience in manipulation. I called him. He came. And in 10 minutes, I had obtained my objective

Vladimiro Montesinos

Mr Montesinos says on the tape how much each of the politicians was paid for their allegiance.

Speaking about one man who received $10,000, Mr Montesinos said: "For me, he was very easy to manipulate. I have a lot of experience in manipulation. I called him. He came. And in 10 minutes, I had obtained my objective".

Mr Montesinos also repeated his accusation that he was acting under the orders of Mr Fujimori, who fled to Japan in 2000 after corruption allegations engulfed his government.

"(Fujimori) gave the orders and those of us below him carried them out," Mr Montesinos said.

He said payments to politicians totalled $380,000 a month for five years.

Undercover 'moles'

Peruvians want former president Fujimori to stand trial

Mr Montesinos appeared relaxed and smiling on the video, which was filmed on 20 December.

He also boasted about the network he helped set up inside Congress.

"Some lawmakers received money but didn't switch to the government's party. They remained undercover, which in intelligence terms are called moles," Mr Montesinos said.

Mr Montesinos is being held in a naval base prison he himself designed to lock up top-security prisoners.

He faces charges ranging from money-laundering to organising death squads and could be sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted.

It was when a video was released in September 2000 showing him apparently offering a $15,000 to one of the newly-elected congressmen that scandal engulfed the Fujimori presidency.

Mr Montesinos fled Peru, and shortly afterwards President Fujimori took refuge in Japan, which has refused to extradite him.

Mr Montesinos was discovered hiding in Venezuela, and returned to Peru at the end of June.