19 years after the
first corruption scandal of Kirchnerism was reported, this Monday the trial for the
Skanska case
, linked to the awarding of gas pipelines in Argentina,
began in the Federal Criminal Oral Court No. 4 of the City .
The case was delayed because it was initially archived and then reopened by the Court.
The main defendants are Minister of Federal Planning,
Julio De Vido
, and Secretary of Public Works,
José López
. The first attended the AMIA room in person, while the second cited health problems and followed the session virtually, according to the Noticias Argentinas agency.
In the case of the Tragedy of Once, De Vido
is sentenced to 5 years and 8 months
in prison and special perpetual disqualification from holding public office, having been found a necessary participant in the crime of fraudulent administration. In addition, he is being prosecuted in the Cuadernos de las Bribes case and others.
In the Skanska case, the alleged fraud is judged
due to fraudulent administration
to the detriment of the National State and possible bribery in relation to the contracting and construction of the North and South Gas Pipeline between 2004 and 2006.
Also prosecuted in this trial are the former Secretary of Public Works José López; the former manager of the Banco Nación Trust Néstor Alberto Ulloa; 9 directors of the Skanska company and 17 representatives of other companies that participated in the gas pipeline projects during the Néstor Kirchner government.
In the debate, which is led by judges Jorge Gorini and Néstor Costabel and judge María Gabriela López Iñiguez, the Public Prosecutor's Office will be represented by the head of the Prosecutor General's Office No. 2 before the Buenos Aires TOF, Abel Córdoba. It is expected that
90 witnesses
will testify during the trial
.
The former public officials who came to trial were prosecuted by
federal judge Sebastián Casanello at the request of prosecutor Carlos Stornelli,
as co-authors of the crime of “fraudulent administration to the detriment of the public administration in ideal competition with passive bribery.”
The directors of Skanska Mario Piantoni, Gustavo Vago, Ignacio de Uribelarrea, Javier Azcárate, Héctor Osvaldo Obregón, Eduardo Varni, Juan Carlos Bos, Alejandro Gerlero and Roberto Antonio Zareba were attributed participation in the crime of fraudulent administration to the detriment of the public administration and were identified as co-authors of the crime of bribery.
This same crime was attributed to the 17 representatives of the companies that issued false billing to justify the bribes. This is Adrián López, from Infiniti Group; Jorge Butti, accountant of the Conaza SA companies. and AMSA SA; Renato and Walter Cecchi, representatives of Metalúrgica Cecchi y Gafforini SA; Juan Cruz Ferrari, representative of ASM SA; Rubén Gueler, managing partner of Conisht SRL; Estela Insenga, representative of SPITAL HERMANOS SRL; Danimiro Kovacik, president of INARGIND; Claudio Moreto, president of Conaza SA; Daniel Nodar, managing partner of Transporte Arco Iris SRL; Raúl Orsini, president of CONUMI SA; and Blas Luis Pierotti, president of GENERART SA.
The list of representatives of the companies accused of false billing includes Jorge Roldán, president of Metalúrgica Roldán SA; Enrique Rubinstain, commercial advisor of Conalbe SA and Comunication & Business SA; Miguel Spital, representative of Spital Hermanos SRL; Alejandro Tettamanti, president of ASM SA and Pedro Ubaldo Carrozzo, managing partner of Darom Construcciones SRL.
According to the request for elevation at trial, between November 2004 and April 2006,
bribes and surcharges were paid
in the framework of contracts to expand the natural gas transportation capacity, which included the installation of gas pipelines in the system. north (TGN licensee) and in the southern system (TGS licensee); the incorporation of compression power, the conditioning of existing compressor plants and the construction of a new compressor plant
These payments would have been implemented by directors of the Skanska company to public officials who intervened in that administrative procedure and, to justify those payments and give them a legal framework, although apparent, Skanska would have simulated commercial operations with 24 companies.
D.D.