- Title: Argentina's former president Fernandez indicted on corruption charges
- Date: 27th December 2016
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (FILE - OCTOBER 2016) (REUTERS) CAR CARRYING FORMER ARGENTINE PRESIDENT, CRISTINA FERNANDEZ, ARRIVING TO FEDERAL COURT SURROUNDED BY SECURITY FORCES AND ONLOOKERS FORMER ARGENTINE PRESIDENT, CRISTINA FERNANDEZ, GETTING OUT OF CAR VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS IN THE STREETS TO SUPPORT FERNANDEZ POLICE IN STREET OUTSIDE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE VARIOUS OF FERNANDEZ LEAVING AND GETTING INTO A CAR
- Embargoed: 11th January 2017 22:22
- Keywords: Argentina corruption Cristina Fernandez public works Mauricio Macri
- Location: BUENOS AIRES AND EL CALAFATE, SANTA CRUZ PROVINCE, ARGENTINA / INTERNET
- City: BUENOS AIRES AND EL CALAFATE, SANTA CRUZ PROVINCE, ARGENTINA / INTERNET
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ENSJER
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez was indicted on Tuesday (December 27) on charges she ran a corruption scheme, marking the second time since she left office a year ago that she has been indicted.
Fernandez was charged with illicit association and fraudulent administration of public works.
Former planning minister Julio de vido and former public works secretary Jose Lopez were also indicted by Judge Julian Ercolini who froze 10 billion pesos (644 million dollars) in assets, although it is unclear if the defendants have that much in assets.
According to the indictment, the defendants are accused of running a scheme to fraudulently access public works funding in the Santa Cruz province from 2003 to 2015.
Corruption charges have long swirled around Fernandez and her husband and predecessor, the late Nestor Kirchner.
Kirchner was the governor of Santa Cruz province, where the couple lived, for over a decade before he became president in 2003.
Fernandez denies wrongdoing and accuses Argentina's current leader, Mauricio Macri, of using the courts to persecute her.
In May, Fernandez was indicted for "unfaithful administration to the detriment of public administration." During her administration, according to the charges, the central bank took money-losing positions in the futures market just before a widely expected devaluation of the peso currency.
Fernandez, head of the leftist faction of the Peronism party umbrella, is revered by millions of Argentines for her generous welfare programs. She is reviled by others, who accuse her of wrecking Argentina's economy, Latin America's third biggest, with profligate state spending and heavy-handed trade and currency controls. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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