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ARGENTINA | 16-02-2018 17:29

Andorran bank: 'Kirchner petroleum bribes: Denied'

Banca Privada d’Andorra (BPA) documents suggest that former Neuquén province governor Jorge Sapag had tried to deposit US$5 million.

A bank in Andorra denied a request by former Neuquén province governor Jorge Sapag to open an account there in April 2008, labelling the money he allegedly wished to deposit as “petroleum bribes from the Kirchners”, news reports revealed Friday.

The investigation by the Spanish publication El País  — which also has a Macri government official under the spotlight — revealed Banca Privada d’Andorra (BPA) documents showing that Sapag had tried to deposit US$5 million there.

Sapag had requested that former Natural Resources minister Guillermo Coco be listed as a beneficiary on the account, according to the investigation.

The operation was rejected by the BPA itself because it classified Sapag as a PEP: politically exposed person.

“The funds come from commissions and royalties that originate from negotiations related to renegotiated concessions which were regularly awarded to companies tied to petroleum exploration in the region [of Neuquén province]”, the bank said in internal documents.

“Petroleum bribes from the Kirchners. Denied”, was the phrase used by BPA to reject the application.

Sapag on Friday denied the claims that he had requested the opening of an account.

“Given an article published today by the El País newspaper in Spain which mentions me, I wish to express that I totally deny the claim that I opened or tried to open a bank account”, he said via Facebook.

He claimed that he was the “target of defamation” because of the “countless fights and tensions among very powerful figures” who are interested in the wealth generated by the Vaca Muerta oil reserves in Neuquén province.

-TIMES 

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