Darío Nieto described the accusation against him for illegal espionage as "false"

Alexander Alfie

06/10/2020 - 16:16

• Clarín.com

• Politics

Darío Nieto, Mauricio Macri's private secretary, denied links with the illegal espionage of the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI) to 24 political leaders, journalists and union members in the administration of Gustavo Arribas and Silvia Majdalani.

Minutes before the investigation began, Judge Juan Pablo Augé

In the investigation, which was carried out this Tuesday via Zoom, Macri's secretary described the accusation as "false", presented a brief and spoke for just over half an hour before Judge Augé and prosecutors Cecilia Incardona and Santiago Eyherabide.

There he stated that he did not know any of the spy who are accused in the court case and denied that he had received intelligence information from Susana Martinengo, the former coordinator of Presidential Documentation.

She also denied that she had "locked herself in the car" to delete messages, as prosecutors maintained. 

Nieto told what his role was as secretary of former President Macri

, what areas depended on him and what tasks he performed at Casa Rosada.

He also questioned the "fallacious factual legal construction carried out by the (challenged) prosecutors against me," said Nieto, who refused to answer questions, because he challenged the judge and the prosecutors, since he argued that the case should not be processed in Lomas de Zamora, because "it lacks territorial jurisdiction."

And he refused to speak about the data on his cell phone, because he challenged the tests carried out, for "violation of the cell phone chain of custody."

In the request for an investigation, the prosecutors

He received from the aforementioned at least the reports related to the Mapuche community and the demonstrations related to the retirement mobility bill, thus becoming a channel subsidiary of the transmission of information produced in violation of the Intelligence Law by the defendants (former spies of the AFI) Sáez and Araque, mainly, "said prosecutors Incardona and Eyherabide.

Gustavo Arribas and Silvia Majdalani, former head and number two of the AFI during the government of Mauricio Macri.

Beyond the legal challenges, sources close to Nieto pointed out the differences between

"A Nieto is handed two messages that supposedly were in his notebook, which were to see how he could respond politically in the Bicameral Commission of Congress before the advance of the cause,"

sources linked to Macri's secretary

told

.

And they added: "On the other hand, Martinengo was found WhatsApp dialogues with the spies, about illegal espionage, and encounters with them at Casa Rosada. That of Martinengo must be investigated," said sources linked to Nieto.

In this way, the nucleus closest to the former president differentiated the role that Nieto had, "which had nothing to do with illegal espionage," according to them;

The former coordinator of Presidential Documentation, "linked" to former spies Leandro Araque and Jorge Sáez, "who were self-employed and even wanted to get money" from some politicians who were illegally spied on, said sources linked to Macri.

For example, the Buenos Aires deputy head of government,

in the framework of these acts of illegal espionage investigated by the Justice of Lomas de Zamora.

"The espionage to politicians and journalists existed, that is clear", coincide the sources consulted by

, who have access to the judicial file.

"What must be resolved is whether to investigate in Lomas de Zamora or in Comodoro Py, as well as whether this was something organized by the AFI leadership or they were self-employed in illegal espionage," said a leader of Juntos por el Cambio.

is scheduled to

, concluding the round of inquiries.

Then Judge Augé would have 10 days to resolve the procedural situation of the 24 defendants in this court case. 

According to prosecutors Incardona and Eyherabide, the defendants in this case "formed an illicit association that functioned and developed within various agencies of the National State and that had multiple illicit purposes, mainly to deploy illegal espionage operations."