Juan Chediack, theformer head of the CAC Chamber of Argentine Construction who was accused of corruption and later turned whistleblower in the so-called 'Cuadernos' notebooks graft case, has died from severe injuries suffered in small plane crash near San Luis Airport.
“Here at Ramón Carrillo Central Hospital we must inform you that Juan Chediack, aged 69, who was in intensive care with a reserved prognosis, died today at 10am after being involved in a plane crash yesterday. From the institution we send our condolences to his family,” read a statement issued by the aforementioned health institution.
The accident occurred around 9:15 am on Sunday morning when the aircraft was taking off heading for San Fernando Airport, Buenos Aires Province.
One of the pilots died in the crash, while the other is hospitalised and remains in critical condition.
At the time of incident, strong winds were blowing in the San Luis area, with gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour. The small Beechcraft G36 Bonanza plane from Mendoza, licence LV-GLQ, became unstable during take-off and ended up crashing against the wire fencing surrounding the airport.
Besides Chediack, pilot Esteban Asprella and crew member Juan Ignacio Bilasio Barbeito were also on board, as reported by El Diario de la República.
All three men were taken to the Ramón Carrillo Hospital in San Luis, with serious wounds.
“They all had terrible burns, needed respiratory assistance due to polytrauma with their bones being significantly compromised. The patients are haemodynamically decompensated and their prognoses are critical and reserved,” physicians indicated.
Hours later, Asprella died, who had burns on 90 percent of his body. In the case of Chediack, he had burns on 80 percent of his body and he passed away on Monday.
Chediack was the president of the CAC from 2014 to 2016, and in the latter years he stated that former president Cristina Fernández Kirchner, former Federal Planning minister Julio De Vido and former Public Works secretary José López “knew there were companies cashing in before others."
“Of course she knew there were bribes in the Highway Board. We said it. The Chamber’s always been against that. There are cases filed since 2008 which never progressed, but are progressing now," he said in witness testimony, referring to the former president.
He also claimed that there was a “public works bribery club” before prosecutor Carlos Stornelli.
– TIMES/NA
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