Arrr, the scallywag Fernández be facin' a mighty storm o' legal troubles, as a corruption case be reopened!
2023-11-28
Arr! As Vice President Cristina Kirchner be ready to walk the plank, a court of appeals be restarting the hunt for hidden doubloons, accusin' her and her scurvy mates of money laundering.
In a surprising turn of events, a federal appeals court in Argentina has reopened a money laundering investigation into Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, just weeks before she leaves office and loses her immunity from arrest. This adds to her legal troubles, as she has already been sentenced to six years in prison in a separate corruption case.The court ruled to revoke her earlier dismissal from a case involving money laundering by businessman Lázaro Báez on behalf of Fernández's family. Previously, Federal Judge Sebastian Casanello had stated that there was no evidence of her involvement in the money laundering. However, a non-profit organization connected to the center-right opposition party appealed the decision.
Fernández, who served as president from 2007 to 2015, blamed the ruling on former President Mauricio Macri, accusing him of influencing the corrupt judiciary. She faces several other cases, including accusations of favoring Báez in public works contracts and allegations of money laundering involving her family's hotels.
Furthermore, she is accused of covering up the perpetrators of the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing through an agreement with the Iranian government. Fernández was initially cleared of charges in these cases, but the Federal Cassation Court has ordered the trials to move forward.
While her advancing age may spare her from time behind bars, as detainees who are 70 or older are often granted house arrest in Argentina, the legal battles continue to loom over Fernández as she prepares to leave office.