Less than two months before the start of the biggest-ever corruption trial in Argentina’s history, the case known as “Los Cuadernos de las Coimas” is entering a decisive period.
With 74 people indicted – including former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner – and at least 626 witnesses providing evidence, the case exposes a network of presumed illegal payments between government officials and big businessmen.
The trial is in the charge of Tribunal Oral Federal (TOF) 7, which was recently enjoined by the Criminal Cassation Court to accelerate trial times and review their decision to hold weekly hearings via Zoom – a method which, in the words of Judge Diego Barroetaveña, “denatures the oral process and limits its dynamics.”
The case, which is based on the manuscript notebooks allegedly kept by the former Federal Planning Ministry chauffeur Oscar Centeno, combines multiple connected files with over 540 cases of presumed corruption and 26 types of crime.
Centeno says he registered the illegal circuit of bribes to Ministry officials in his copybooks.
Unlike in previous cases, the ‘Cuadernos’ file not only involves ex-government officials. It exposes, as never before, the direct participation of some of Argentina’s most important business leaders.
Big business
Of the 74 indicted persons to be tried in this first stage, a significant percentage belong to the private sector. A selection of the main businessmen on trial in this cas, who will have to explain to the court their presumed participation in the payment of bribes, includes:
– Carlos Wagner (former head of the Argentine Chamber of Construction)
– Enrique Menotti Pescarmona (Grupo Pescarmona-Impsa)
– Gerardo Ferreyra (Electroingeniería)
– Osvaldo Acosta (Electroingeniería)
– Angelo Calcaterra (ex-IECSA, Mauricio Macri’s cousin)
– Aldo Benito Roggio (Grupo Roggio)
– Carlos José Mundín (BTU)
– Juan Carlos de Goycoechea (Isolux Corsán)
– Néstor Otero (holder of the Retiro bus terminal concession)
– Cristóbal López and Fabián de Sousa (Grupo Indalo)
– Rodolfo Perales, Raúl Vertúa, Hugo Dragonetti and Rudy Ulloa Igor, among others.
Also summoned as witnesses are such high-profile businessmen as Paolo Rocca, Luis Betnaza, Héctor Zabaleta (all Techint), Eduardo Eurnekian (Corporación América) and former media mogul Sergio Szpolski.
Some have testified as whistleblowers or recognised irregular payments during the investigation of the case.
Whistleblowers
The court has incorporated the complete files of 25 indicted collaborators, whose confessions now form part of the trial. The list includes:
– Oscar Centeno: Ex-driver and author of the copybooks.
– Juan Carlos de Goycoechea: From the Isolux building firm.
– Ángel Calcaterra: Mauricio Macri’s cousin and former owner of the IECSA construction company.
– Héctor Javier Sánchez Caballero: IECSA.
– Armando Loson: From the Albanesi group.
– Héctor Alberto Zabaleta: Former Techint director.
– Carlos Wagner: Ex-president of the Chamber of Construction.
– Jorge Neira: Electroingeniería.
– Claudio Glazman: From the Roggio group.
– Aldo Roggio: Head of the Grupo Roggio.
– Juan Chediack: Ex-president of the Chamber of Construction.
– Claudio Uberti: Former Federal Planning Ministry official.
– Jorge Balan: Electroingeniería.
– Benjamín Romero: Ex-government official.
– José López: Former Public Works secretary.
– Marcela Sztenberg.
– Patricio Gerbi.
– Gabriel Pedro Losi: From LOSI S.A.
– Alberto Taselli: Businessman active in the energy sector.
– Miguel Aznar.
– Francisco Valenti: From the Impsa group.– Enrique Pescarmona: From the Impsa group.
– Víctor Fabián Gutiérrez: Murdered in 2020, former private secretary to ex-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
– Rodolfo Armando Poblete– Ernesto Clarens: Financier singled out as one of the leading bagmen.
– TIMES/NA
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