justice
Argentina’s ex-president denies corruption allegations
Former President and current Vice President of Argentina: Cristina Kirchner. photo
© Rodrigo Abd/AP/dpa
The public prosecutor’s office is demanding twelve prison terms and a lifelong ban from public office for Cristina Kirchner. The former head of state sees no evidence of corruption allegations.
After the prosecutor’s closing arguments in the corruption proceedings against Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Kirchner, the former head of state rejected the allegations.
“This is not a trial against Cristina Kirchner. This is a trial against Peronism, against the national and popular governments that we are fighting for better wages, pensions and infrastructure,” Kirchner said in a video message. She accused the public prosecutor’s office of not providing evidence for her allegations and of acting out of political motives.
On Monday, the public prosecutor’s office had demanded twelve prison terms and a lifelong ban from public office against Kirchner in a corruption investigation. The ex-president (2007 – 2015) was the leader of a criminal organization and deprived the state of around one billion US dollars, said prosecutor Diego Luciani in his closing argument.
Kirchner and her late husband and ex-president Néstor Kirchner are said to have procured a whole series of public contracts for a friendly contractor without a tender. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the confidant’s company received around 80 percent of all public road construction contracts in Kirchner’s home region of Santa Cruz. Part of the excessive construction costs flowed back to the Kirchners later.