Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

April 11, 2017 By Fausta

Argentina: Cristina charged with money laundering . . . for the 4th time


Former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, along with her children, has been charged with money laundering. When the news popped up last week, I thought it was an old news item.

It is, and it isn’t: This is the fourth time she’s been charged with money laundering.

DW has the story:
Argentina ex-President Cristina Kirchner charged with money laundering

Argentina ex-President Cristina Kirchner has been criminally charged for the fourth time, and her passport has been confiscated. The latest charges stem from alleged money laundering in real estate ventures.

I guess she won’t be dropping by the Seychelles any time soon now that they took her passport (link in Spanish). DW continues,

Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner was formally charged with money laundering and running a criminal association related to real estate dealings, the country’s Judicial Information Service said on Tuesday.

Kirchner, who served as president from 2007 to 2015, already faces trial in a separate case for alleged financial mismanagement in office.

It is the fourth set of criminal charges to beset the former president. Judge Claudio Bonadío said Kirchner was criminally responsible for being part of an illicit association, which she headed, and involved in laundering assets of illicit origin. The charges were aggravated by the fact that Kirchner was a government official and was involved in negotiations incompatible with her position as president, the judge said.

A family affair

Also charged were Kirchner’s two children, Florencia and Maximo, who is currently a member of congress. Businessmen Cristobal Lopez and Lazaro Baez were also prosecuted as head of a company set up by the Kirchners which owned several hotels in Santa Cruz province.

The latest investigation turned up fourteen houses she “never declared” to the anti-corruption or the tax authorities. (How does one manage that, I wonder?)

In addition to the money laundering cases, let’s not forget that Cristina has pending charges for allegedly ordering Argentina’s central bank to illegally trade derivatives, which cost the country $5.5 billion.

$5.50 says she doesn’t serve time.

Cross-posted at WoW! Magazine.

Share

Filed Under: Argentina, corruption, Fausta's blog Tagged With: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Cristóbal López, Florencia Kirchner, Lázaro Báez, Máximo Kirchner, Seychelles

December 28, 2016 By Fausta

Argentina: Cristina indicted, again

on corruption charges related to Austral Construcciones, owned by Lázaro Báez involving contracts from 2003-2015.

Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner Indicted in Corruption Case. Indictment is connected to infrastructure projects awarded to company owned by a close associate

On Tuesday, Judge Ercolini said many of the road projects in Santa Cruz were awarded to construction company Austral Construcciones. The company is owned by businessman Lázaro Báez, with whom the Kirchners had long-standing business ties dating back to when Mr. Kirchner was governor of Santa Cruz in the 1990s.

The judge, who ordered about $640 million in Mrs. Kirchner’s assets be frozen, wrote in the document that the former president had played a chief role in a scheme to divert state resources to Austral.

The document said Mrs. Kirchner and her husband created the institutional setup for the corruption ring to succeed and passed decrees that allowed funds to be directed and controlled so that they reached Mr. Báez through the awarding of public-road works.

The NYT reports,

The charges focus on 52 projects in the southern province of Santa Cruz, where Néstor Kirchner was governor for more than a decade until he became president of Argentina in 2003.

Cristina was also indicted this year on charges that she ordered the country’s central bank to illegally trade derivatives, costing the country about $5.5 billion. She’s under investigation in several other cases.

Related:

Lázaro Báez busted.

Share

Filed Under: Argentina, corruption Tagged With: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Fausta's blog, Lázaro Báez

April 22, 2016 By Fausta

Argentina: Leonardo sings

No, not the late Leonardo Favio (the singer/film director), but Leonardo Fariña, associate of Lázaro Báez, who claims Báez and Ernersto Kirchner conspired to steal public money.

The WSJ obtained the court testimony:
Testimony Links Argentine Ex-President’s Late Husband With Plot to Steal Millions. Former associate says contractor conspired with Néstor Kirchner to steal federal money

Lázaro Báez, a top government construction contractor and close friend of Mr. Kirchner, plotted with other officials to carry out “a systematic plan to steal money from federal coffers,” according to 85 pages of testimony unsealed by Federal Judge Sebastián Casanello.The accusation by Leonardo Fariña, a former associate of Mr. Báez, could have broad political and legal consequences for Mrs. Kirchner.

Fariña is now under witness protection,

Earlier this week, Judge Casanello indicted Mr. Báez and five othersin connection with allegations that he plotted with federal officials to bilk the state by overbilling hundreds of millions of dollars in public-works projects awarded between 2003 and 2015, when the Kirchners were in power.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court has urged the judge to try to recover any stolen funds. According to Mr. Fariña, Mr. Báez stored ill-gotten cash haphazardly in places such as his basement cellar, where humidity and mold ruined some of it.

They forgot the DampRid, but the plan rolled right along,

Mr. Fariña said Messrs. Báez and Kirchner organized a five-step plan to defraud taxpayers. The plan allegedly consisted of overbilling public projects, getting paid in advance for doing them, creating fake invoices, bribing officials and laundering the proceeds.

Fariña claims that the late Néstor didn’t quite reveal to Cristina and their son Måximo just how much money was in the cellar. That ought to qualify as today’s Capt. Louis Renault moment.

Share

Filed Under: Argentina, corruption Tagged With: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Fausta's blog, Lázaro Báez, Leonardo Fariña, Nestor Kirchner

April 6, 2016 By Fausta

Argentina: Lazaro Baez busted

“Who the hey is Lázaro Báez?,” you may ask.

Lázaro is a leading government contractor and associate of former president Cristina Kirchner,

Argentine prosecutors alleged that Mr. Báez, whose flagship construction company was set up days before Mr. Kirchner took office in 2003 and who made hundreds of millions of dollars through public projects, transferred money abroad through a global network of shell companies. Officials of Mrs. Kirchner’s administration have said the allegations had political motivations.

For Mossack Fonseca, when it rains, it pours,

Many of these firms were set up in the U.S. state of Nevada by the Mossack Fonseca law firm at the center of global scrutiny.

(No, Báez is not on the list.)

The Panama-based law firm has denied any wrongdoing. On Tuesday, it said that it has no legal liability for the actions of the companies and that it has been the victim of a massive data breach. Mossack Fonseca, which acted as a “resident agent” for the companies, told The Wall Street Journal in 2014 that the companies had “no ties whatsoever to Lázaro Báez or corruption scandals in Argentina.”

The memes are up,

Lázaro Báez #MartesIntratable pic.twitter.com/BChQG5pa64

— Juan Turralde (@juan_turralde91) April 6, 2016

A congresswoman presented a legal complaint against Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on charges of illicitly acquiring wealth and forging public documents, but Cristina says her family has no offshore accounts, instead of answering the actual charges.

Which, by the way, is a swipe at Macri, and a presumption of guilt on a common business practice.

For background (in Spanish) on the Kirchners, here’s Jorge Lanata’s La ruta del dinero K (The Route of the K-Money)

Share

Filed Under: Argentina, corruption Tagged With: Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Fausta' blog, Jorge Lanata, Lázaro Báez, Mossack Fonseca

Tweets by @Fausta
retirees_raise-2015_300x250

Pages

  • About
  • Email

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Previous Posts

  • Mrs. Maisel goes full Alinsky on Mrs. Schlafly
  • Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • You need to unfriend me
  • Go ahead and Kiss the Girl, if you dare
  • Ashamed

Recent Comments

  • John on Mrs. Maisel goes full Alinsky on Mrs. Schlafly
  • Today’s hot topics: Democrats’ collusion shift, tax-return rift, Venezuela drift, and more! – PoliticalWitchDoctor.com on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • Today’s hot topics: Democrats’ collusion shift, tax-return rift, Venezuela drift, and more! - AmericanTruthToday on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • Did Venezuela’s Minister of Defense Back Out At The Last Minute? on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • Roseanne Not Back, Khan not Invited, Operaman’s back, Jobs back, Fausta’s back (but not here yet) Thoughts under the fedora – Da Tech Guy Blog on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?

Archives

  • 2019
    • December 2019
    • May 2019
    • January 2019
  • 2018
    • December 2018
    • October 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
  • 2017
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
  • 2016
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
  • 2015
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
  • 2014
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
  • 2013
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
  • 2012
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
  • 2011
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
  • 2010
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
  • 2009
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
  • 2008
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • May 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
  • 2007
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • April 2007
    • March 2007
    • February 2007
    • January 2007
  • 2006
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • October 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2006
    • April 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
  • 2005
    • December 2005
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
  • 2004
    • December 2004
    • November 2004
    • October 2004
    • September 2004
    • August 2004
    • July 2004
    • June 2004
    • May 2004
    • April 2004
    • March 2004
Content Copyright Fausta's Blog

Site Developed and Managed by 300m.com