Before the start of the third hearing of the Bribery Notebooks trial, in which Cristina Kirchner was the main defendant, the Seventh Federal Oral Court (TOF 7) informed the 86 defendants of the following hearing schedule: Until December 18, not only will the virtual method continue to prevail, but there will also be days of reading about the maneuver investigated and the role played by each accused.
The accused has Three mandatory cases Regarding their attendance at trial: First, when reading the application for trial, which is a description of the documented facts, the criminal structure, and the charge that weighs on each person based on the role he played.
Later, at the investigative pleading stage, they must be present and finally they must appear before the court again at the pleadings and finally start reading the judgment.
The bribery trial, which includes 86 defendants, is still at an early stage. TOF 7 began three hearings before the first motion to advance to trial was read.
This file has been organized based on the “parent case” read since November 6, and six other related cases, which delve into each of the areas in which the illegal fundraising structure was created: Subsidies for transportation, liquefied natural gas, road corridors, public works, etc.
During this trial, there will be four interconnected cases to be decided, with two other cases being held in oral and public trial.
For this reason, the TOF 7 panel composed of judges Enrique Méndez Signori, Fernando Canero and Germán Castelli have decided that – despite the addition of another hearing starting next week – the virtual method of ruling will continue.
“There is no need to modify it at this pointJudicial sources explained to Clarion. Until December 18, the sessions will be devoted exclusively to reading the requirements for submitting to trial, which forces all defendants – including Christina Kirchner – to communicate in order to follow the sessions.
This Wednesday, the Cassation Chamber, which supervises the courts of first instance, signed the decision by which the AMIA Chamber makes it available to TOF 7 to conduct the trial in person where an illegal association dedicated from 2003 to 2015 to collecting bribes is to be judged. It was proposed to hold three weekly hearings, as requested by prosecutor Fabiana Leon at the time.
However, it is within the jurisdiction of the court to decide what is the best way to conduct oral and public discussion. At the present time, what was recommended by the highest criminal court will not be implemented.
For example, at the moment, which is determined by TOF 7 judges, investigations will be for those who wish to testify while the remaining parties will follow the hearing online.
The Court of Cassation made another decision: it excluded TOF 7 from the draws for new trials with the aim of focusing mainly on the Quadernos case.
The Supreme Criminal Court even recommended that the court consider suspending the summer judicial exhibition as well as the winter exhibition next year. At the moment, none of that is being analysed. Judicial sources explained to Clarin that it was noted that it was “very close to the date of the summer exhibition” in order to “make any sudden amendment.”
However, any new calendar imposed by the court must be adhered to by the accused, “it is not something that must be agreed upon with the accused,” another Comodoro Bay source noted.
This way, for the remaining audiences between now and the end of the year, virtual will remain the primary methodology.
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