>
New trial against CFK begins in Buenos Aires
Given the large number of witnesses and defendants, the court expects the trial to last several years.
The trial known as the “notebook case” against former Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) began virtually this Thursday in Buenos Aires. The accused appeared online after her house arrest, where she is already serving another sentence for corruption.
CFK was identified by the prosecution as the leader of an illicit association made up of 86 other defendants, including the former Minister of Planning, Julio De Vido, and other senior officials of his government. Magistrates Enrique Méndez Signori, Fernando Canero and Germán Castelli decided that the hearings will be broadcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays to guarantee transparency.
This Thursday’s opening session focused on reading the formal complaint drawn up by prosecutor Carlos Stornelli. The document also mentions the late Néstor Carlos Kirchner (2003-2007), covering the entire period of the Kirchner governments (2003-2015) and detailing hundreds of illegal acts, including dates, people involved, locations, purpose and amounts of bribes. The indictment names Cristina Kirchner as the “final recipient of the money” in the vast majority of transactions. The reading of the accusations should last throughout the month of November.
After reading, defense lawyers and the prosecution will raise preliminary questions, which judges usually postpone until the end of the trial. The next phase consists of interrogations of the defendants, which the Public Prosecutor’s Office prefers to be carried out in person. This phase will be public and accessible through an open Zoom platform.
The subsequent presentation of evidence by more than 440 witnesses and experts will not be broadcast on YouTube, and access will be restricted to accredited journalists and public observers via a private Zoom session to prevent witnesses from manipulating their statements. The public broadcast will resume via YouTube for the closing arguments and the reading of the final verdict. Given the high number of witnesses and 86 defendants, the court expects the trial to last several years.
On Thursday, the court rejected the request for probation (suspension of the trial in exchange for community service and a fine of 209 million pesos) of businessman Patricio Gerbi, who cooperated as a repentant witness, after the objection of prosecutor Fabiana León.
About The Author
