Argentina prosecutes former President Alberto Fernández for alleged corruption

A judge in Argentina ordered on Thursday afternoon that former President Alberto Fernández be tried for alleged corruption related to irregular contracting of insurance for public agencies during his administration (2019-2023).

"Judge Sebastián Casanello has just resolved the prosecution of Fernández," Mariana Barbitta, the former president's lawyer, told AFP. The defender said that they will appeal, for which they have until Tuesday.

Fernández, 66 years old, is accused of holding "negotiations incompatible with the exercise of public office," according to an excerpt of the ruling quoted by Argentine media.

The judge also ordered the seizure "of assets and money ... in the amount of 14.634 billion pesos," equivalent to roughly $11 million dollars at the official exchange rate, according to the document.

The case involves alleged insurance contracts for different state offices through an intermediary who charged commission for the management when they could have been made directly.

The 'insurance' case

According to a decree signed by Fernández himself, the state's insurance was covered by state-owned Banco de la Nación's insurance provider. The main insurance broker was allegedly the husband of the personal secretary of the then-president, and the evidence on which the accusation is based emerged from the latter's cell phone.

"It's an arbitrary, unfounded decision," Barbitta said of the judge's ruling.

Fernández was questioned last Friday by Casanello in the framework of the investigation and denied any embezzlement. However, the judge claims the former president "created and enabled a permissive scenario" for the profit of his friends, per Argentine newspaper La Nación.

Fernández was involved in the "business expansion plan" of Hector Martínez Sosa's group. Martínez Sosa is the insurance broker with the state, the lawyer said in his ruling. The list of crimes allegedly committed in this case also includes money laundering and bribery.

In addition to Fernández, Martínez Sosa and the president's former secretary, some 30 people will be tried in this case.

Case 2: Gender violence

During the examination of the phone of Fernández's former secretary, testimonies and images also came to light, which led to a complaint for gender violence filed against the former president by his ex-partner, Fabiola Yáñez.

For this other case, Fernández must face an oral trial for the crimes of "serious injuries" and "coercive threats."

Fernández has always denied any violence against Yáñez, 43, with whom he had a relationship of approximately 10 years and a son born in 2022.