Japan has refused to send the former president back to Peru

"If I had really been guilty and responsible, with sufficient evidence, the international police would have arrested me a long time ago," he said in a statement to the Kyodo news agency.

"I am no fugitive and hide from nobody. I go out like every free citizen."

Peru issued the latest arrest warrant on Thursday, accusing Mr Fujimori of allegedly paying his ex-spy chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, a $15m "golden handshake".

An international arrest warrant was also issued last September in connection with two massacres that occurred during Mr Fujimori's brutal crackdown on left-wing rebels during his ten years in office.

Hard-line defended

Both warrants have been passed to the international police agency, Interpol.

The former president fled to his parents' native Japan in November 2000 after Mr Montesinos triggered a corruption scandal. Mr Fujimori was dismissed from office shortly afterwards.

Two weeks ago, he made his first appearance in 14 months in a lecture at a Tokyo university.

Vladimiro Montesinos was once the most feared man in Peru

He strongly defended his hard-line rule in Peru, which he said had brought peace to the country.

The Peruvian Government of President Alejandro Toledo, who took office in July, has repeatedly urged Tokyo to return Mr Fujimori to face trial.

But the two countries have no extradition treaty and Mr Fujimori has Japanese citizenship.

Japan 'under obligation'

Mr Fujimori insists he has committed no crimes and says he would not receive a fair trial in Peru.

In October, the London-based international human rights organisation Amnesty International said Japan had an obligation to co-operate with Peru.

It said: "The widespread and systematic human rights violations committed in Peru during Alberto Fujimori's presidency amount to crimes against humanity, over which any state has the ability to exercise universal jurisdiction."