Live
Audio Only
An Argentine judge has ordered legal proceeding against former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner for alleged illegal association in a case involving contracts for public road works.
ANALYSIS:
The Kirchner Legacy in Argentina: 12 Years of Gains
Judge Julián Ercolini also ordered a US$600 million embargo - a figure was set by the court based a calculation on the alleged profits generated by those contracts - against Fernandez and against her former Planning Minister Julio De Vido, former Secretary of Public Works Jose Lopez and businessman Lazaro Baez, who is currently imprisoned for alleged money laundering in another case.
However, the judge also ordered a freeze all the bank accounts of all those named, except those accounts where they receive pensions or salaries.
If convicted, the crime of illicit association could mean a sentence of up to ten years.
Leaving the court Tuesday, Fernandez said the accusations are part of "a formidable maneuver of political persecution and media harassment" by the government of Mauricio Macri, Argentina's current president.
She also faces another legal process over her alleged involvement in the sale of U.S. dollar futures contracts at below-market rates during her administration, a claim she has also denied.
Newsletter
