The businessman Cristóbal López is released in the case of the Notebooks of Corruption

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(CNN Spanish) - Argentine businessman Cristóbal López regained his freedom Tuesday, his lawyer confirmed to CNN. It thus adds to the list of those processed by the file known as the Notebooks of Corruption that have been released in recent weeks.

The employer, prosecuted for illicit association, money laundering and bribery, will now face an oral trial for this investigation, although he has always sustained his innocence and denied all charges.

Lopez built in recent years a business group that included casinos, a construction company, financial and banking businesses, oil companies, food and media. But the arrival of Mauricio Macri to the presidency of Argentina marked the end of his economic power and the beginning of his judicial problems, as also happened with numerous former officials and businessmen linked to former presidents Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Until the departure of the Kirchner from power, arrests for allegations of corruption had been an exception. Then, the so-called Irurzun Doctrine began to be applied, a provision by Judge Martín Irurzun, president of the Federal Chamber of Buenos Aires, a higher court that made more flexible the reasons why a defendant for corruption could be arrested. Thus, in determining the alleged ties with the power of the accused, without taking into account whether there was a danger that it would hinder the investigation or escape, which were the assumptions established by law, it was sufficient reason to detain numerous suspects.

In that context, López was arrested twice, but the judges added other reasons. The first time was due to the alleged attempt to sell their companies during the investigation of the Oil case, denounced by the Treasury as co-author of an alleged aggravated fraudulent administration. The second time was in the framework of the investigation of the case of the Notebooks of Corruption.

The judge who instructed the cause of the notebooks, Claudio Bonadio, argued a few days ago that the businessman had to remain detained because he had economic means at his disposal that could facilitate his escape. In addition, he stressed the seriousness of the facts of which he is accused, including 33 alleged bribes.

On September 13, a federal judge determined that Lopez should be dismissed in a case linked to Oil: the alleged fraudulent sale of the company during the judicial investigation. That had been the main reason for his first arrest in December 2017.

Based on that decision, the court that is judging López for this case of alleged fraud against the Treasury accepted to be released while being tried, as confirmed by López's defender.

However, the freedom of the employer now depended on the judge of the notebooks, who had issued another arrest warrant against him in 2018. Following the request of the defense, Judge Bonadío refused to sign his release, but last Friday, Following the appeal of his lawyer, a higher court gave López the reason, according to the ruling, which CNN agreed to.

The court held that the investigation of the notebooks is partially completed and on the way to trial. For these reasons, the employer could no longer obstruct the investigation and could await the trial in freedom.

That same Friday, Judge Bonadio had no other option. He had to authorize López's release, but he set a bond of around one million dollars. On Monday, the employer's lawyer complied with the requirement through surety insurance.

This Tuesday, López will return to his home in the neighborhood of Puerto Madero, in Buenos Aires, according to his defender.

However, their legal battles are not over. In addition to the oral trial for the Oil case, Judge Bonadio cited him again for another file for alleged corruption in the public works involving CPC, the construction company that belonged to him. His lawyer said Lopez denies the charges.

The defender has already asked the judge to exempt the employer from prison, because he fears he may be detained again. The magistrate denied it. Now, a higher court will decide again on a possible third detention of Lopez.

Background

In March 2016, the tax authorities of the Mauricio Macri government denounced López for allegedly avoiding 8,000 million pesos (about US $ 530 million at the time) in taxes on fuels that his company Oil had to pay, according to The file.

The prosecutor’s accusation, later confirmed by the courts, determined that, with that money withheld, that he should go to pay taxes, López capitalized his economic group, Indalo, and acquired media related to Kirchnerism, given the alleged complicity of The authorities.

Lopez was accused of co-author of “aggravated fraudulent administration” and his arrest was ordered. The businessman denies the charges.

In this case, López was detained for the first time, in December 2017. A higher court released him in March 2018 and a third-instance court ordered his detention again a month later. Lopez then returned to jail.

In August 2018, the businessman was targeted by Judge Claudio Bonadio in the case of notebooks. He was prosecuted for illicit association, money laundering and bribery, and his arrest was ordered. Lopez denies the charges.

The comings and goings around the charges against Lopez cost the charge to two federal judges who had ordered him released in March 2018 and reduce the charges against him; they presented an alleged fraud maneuver to the State allegedly protected by the Treasury during the administration of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (which her government has denied); and crumbled a business empire that included casinos, a construction company, financial and banking businesses, oil companies, food and media.

corruption notebooks