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Argentina’s former head of intelligence “Antonio” Jaime Stiusso has reportedly fled Argentina, the Pagina 12 newspaper claimed Sunday.
Stiusso is a suspect in the suspicious death of attorney Alberto Nisman, who was overseeing an investigation into the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural centre.
Nisman reportedly tried to contact Stiusso the day before his death.
The death of Nisma rocked Argentina earlier this year with some seeking to pin the blame on the government of Cristina Fernandez, a move dismissed as being politically motivated.
RELATED: The Death of Argentine Attorney Alberto Nisman
Stiuso – who has close links to the United States' Embassy in Buenos Aires and western intelligence services – was last seen in Porto Alegre, Brazil, using an Italian passport and it is thought he could now be in Miami, Florida.
The report on Stiusso’s whereabouts was handed to a group of attorneys on Saturday, all investigating different cases in which the former chief of intelligence is a suspect, including the Nisman case.
Stiusso is also being investigated on charges of money laundering, providing false information to authorities, contraband, dereliction of duty, hiding evidence and illicit enrichment amongst others.
RELATED: In depth look at the claims around the death of Alberto Nisman
A hearing was ordered for Stiusso for this coming Thursday to explain the results of over 10 years of investigations in the AMIA bombing case, and a series of phone call interceptions allegedly related to the case.
However the three attorneys handling the case –Sabrina Namer, Patricio Sabadini y Roberto Salum – believe Stiusso will not show up. According to Pagina 12, if the former chief of intelligence does not do so, the authorities are ready to issue an arrest warrant.
If this is the case, Stiuso would have to come back to Argentina voluntarily to avoid the status of “fugitive” or request political asylum in the U.S., which some believe could become a possibility due to his links with the U.S. government.
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