Argentina’s Vice President and Senate President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner looks on as lawmakers meet to debate and vote on an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina March 17, 2022. Portal/ Augustin Marcarian
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BUENOS AIRES, Aug 22 (Portal) – An Argentine federal prosecutor on Monday sought a 12-year prison sentence for Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the country’s former president and current vice-president, over corruption allegations linked to public works.
Prosecutor Diego Luciani accused Fernandez de Kirchner, a still influential voice for the left wing of the ruling Peronist party, of defrauding the state and being involved in a scheme to divert public funds while he was president between 2007 and 2015.
According to local media, the verdict will be known in months, although Fernandez de Kirchner could appeal to higher courts, which would take years before a final verdict is reached.
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“This is probably the biggest corruption maneuver ever known in the country,” argued Luciani for the verdict, which has fueled new political tensions in the South American country.
Fernandez de Kirchner, who testified in court in 2019, said on Twitter that she was faced with a “media court firing squad” and “no constitutional court”.
The former president added that she was not given an opportunity to testify on new elements of the case and will present her defense on social media on Tuesday.
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez condemned the decision on Twitter and in a statement described the decision as a case of prosecution.
“None of the acts attributed to the former president have been proven,” the statement said.
Prosecutors also sought a lifetime ban on Fernandez de Kirchner from holding public office.
Later Monday, local police dispersed dozens of protesters outside Kirchner’s home in the capital, Buenos Aires, with camps both against and in support of the prosecutor’s demand, local television showed.
The investigation aims to determine whether she and other officials in her government have favored firms owned by businessman Lazaro Baez in bidding processes for dozens of public works projects in Patagonia’s southern region, many of which were overpriced or never completed.
Many experts suspect that the allegedly diverted capital would have returned to the Kirchner family via their company.
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Reporting by Nicolás Misculin and Jorge Otaola; Edited by Marguerita Choy, Stephen Coates and Sam Holmes
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