The trial for alleged corruption against the vice president and former president
Argentina Cristina Kirchner and 12 other people, resumed this Monday with the start of the defense arguments, the last stage of the process before a verdict is issued.
(Read here: The attack against Cristina Kirchner raises political polarization in Argentina)
Kirchner, 69, is accused of leading an illicit association that defrauded the State in the bidding for 51 public works in the province of Santa Cruz (south) when she was president (2007-2015).
(See also: Argentina: Minister of Security raises his resignation after attack on Cristina K)
still under the shock of the attack from which she emerged unharmed Kirchner last week, the court set up this Monday the hearing of allegations of the defense of the former head of the Vialidad of the province of Santa Cruz, Héctor Garro, the first to declare at this stage that he follows an alphabetical order.
His defender argued that the accusations against Garro contain “logical flaws and leaps of reasoning.” It is estimated that the defense of the former president will expose towards the end of September and that the verdict may be known before the end of the year.
The prosecution requested a 12-year prison sentence for her. and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
The trial investigates alleged maneuvers in the adjudication and execution of public works in Santa Cruz in favor of businessman Lázaro Báez between 2003 and 2015, a period that also covers the government of the late Néstor Kirchner.
Each defendant has three hearings to present arguments, although some have already announced that they will only use one. The defenses, as in the case of Garro, can attend personally at this stage of the trial, which is followed in semi-face-to-face form in courts of the Argentine capital.
The trial resumes four days after Kirchner was attacked on Thursday by a man who fired a gun just inches from her face. without the gun going off.
The attacker, Fernando Sabag Montiel, 35, of Brazilian nationality, sneaked in among Kirchner’s supporters, who since the prosecutor’s office requested that she be sentenced, had demonstrated daily in his support at the doors of his house in Buenos Aires. Sabag Montiel was arrested on the spot, and on Sunday his girlfriend was also arrested.
AFP
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