Former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner must present herself to the federal courts within five working days otherwise a warrant for her arrest will be issued.
Federal Oral Court No. 2 ordered on Tuesday that Fernández de Kirchner and eight other individuals convicted of corruption offences in the so-called ‘Vialidad’ trial must report to the Comodoro Py courthouse within five working days to make their detentions effective.
The ruling follows the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the conviction for fraudulent administration against the former president in the 'Vialidad' case.
The judicial order also applies to convictees Lázaro Báez, Nelson Periotti, José López, Juan Carlos Villafañe, Raúl Pavesi, Mauricio Collareda, José Santibáñez and Raúl Daruich, all of whom were sentenced in 2022 for irregularities in the awarding of public works contracts in Santa Cruz province between 2003 and 2015.
Federal Oral Court No. 2 has instructed the National Security Ministry to assign, within 24 hours, a suitable facility under federal control to hold those convicted.
The chosen place of detention must take into account the “individual characteristics” of each person involved, according to the court.
Once those detentions have been carried out, the court has ordered that sentences be formally processed and the individuals transferred to their designated detention centres under a final conviction status.
Fernández de Kirchner was sentenced to six years in prison and permanently disqualified from holding public office, along with the confiscation of 85 billion pesos, for leading a criminal conspiracy that steered public contracts to companies owned by Lázaro Báez during her time in office.
The Federal Court of Cassation upheld the original verdict in 2024, and the Supreme Court made it final on Tuesday by rejecting all appeals.
This case marks an unprecedented moment in Argentina’s judicial and political history. It is the first time a former president elected by popular vote has been ordered to prison for corruption committed while in office.
The only other president found guilty of committing a crime, former head of state Carlos Menem, held immunity until his death due to his position as an elected lawmaker.
– TIMES/NA
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