The former Argentine president could be sentenced to six years in prison and permanently banned from holding public office.

On Tuesday, Argentina’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Horacio Rosatti called the justices to convene at 4 p.m. local time to decide on the case against former President Cristina Fernandez (2007-2015).

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Fernandez was convicted on appeal for irregularities in the awarding of public works contracts in Santa Cruz province. She has appealed to the Supreme Court, claiming she is a victim of political and judicial persecution.

The Supreme Court justices must decide whether to dismiss Fernandez’s appeal, which could uphold her six-year prison sentence and permanent disqualification from holding public office. The court could also order an investigation into Fernandez for alleged criminal association, a charge that would increase her sentence to 12 years. Prosecutors Mario Villar and Attorney General Eduardo Casal raised this possibility.

A ruling requires agreement among the three Supreme Court justices: Horacio Rosatti, Carlos Rosenkrantz and Ricardo Lorenzetti. If they fail to reach a consensus, supplementary judges would be called in to form a majority, delaying the decision.

The text reads, “Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner defined herself as ‘a living executioner’ in the face of the possibility of receiving a sentence from the Supreme Court. The possible conviction could prevent her from participating in the September elections.”

If the court upholds the conviction, the former president could be arrested as early as Tuesday and would be barred from running in the Buenos Aires provincial legislative elections scheduled for September. Fernandez confirmed her candidacy on June 2.

The case, known as “Roadworks” (Vialidad), investigated alleged irregularities in the awarding of 51 road construction contracts in Santa Cruz to companies owned by businessman Lazaro Baez during the administrations of Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez.

In 2022, Fernandez was convicted of fraudulent administration but avoided imprisonment due to her legal immunity and the pending Supreme Court review. On Sept. 1, 2022, a man linked to the far-right group Federal Revolution pointed a revolver at her head and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire in what was deemed an attempted assassination. Argentina’s judiciary has made no progress in that investigation.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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