Former president Alberto Fernández is at the heart of two court probes, one investigating alleged influence-peddling in state insurance deals during his Presidency and the other, gender violence and harassment claims made by his former partner, Fabiola Yáñez.
This week, prosecutor Ramiro González began setting dates for the remaining testimonies required after Yañez’s deposition from Spain.
He has asked Federal Judge Julián Ercolini to indict Fernández for nine serious injuries allegedly suffered by his former partner.
Under oath
Among those to be called is Miriam Yáñez Verdugo, Fabiola’s mother. Via the Foreign Ministry, González has already asked “to request an authorisation to take the aforementioned party’s testimony in the Argentine Consulate in Madrid.”
The former first lady’s mother will provide essential testimony, since she must answer under oath, how many times she cared for Fabiola and in what health she was at the time.
This could contrast with evidence from physician Federico Saavedra, the former head of the Presidential Medical Unit, who treated Yáñez during visits to the Olivos presidential residence.
Prosecutor González can request documentation, in paper or electronic format from him or the treatment he might have prescribed. An important note is whether the ex-first lady, as Saavedra’s patient, can exempt him from doctor-patient privilege.
Private secretary
On Thursday there will be decisive testimony from María Cantero, Alberto Fernández’s former private secretary, who must appear at noon in Comodoro Py federal courthouse.
Cantero’s phone is considered the case’s ‘Pandora’s box,’ because it was the key to judge Ercolini’s initial investigation that led to Yañez refusing to report allegations of gender violence. She later U-turned on that decision and filed a criminal complaint.
González has analysed the striking chat messages between Yañez and Cantero and wants to get to the bottom of them.
In one of the WhatsApp exchanges, after greeting Fabiola for her birthday in 2021 (weeks before the photo of the Olivos party was disclosed) María wrote: “If you ask for your three wishes, try not to make me lose my boss,” a message that implies she feared the possible reporting of assaults or behaviour by the then-head of state.
“Cantero’s chats evidence containment to Fabiola marked by an interest, on the one hand, to be loyal and take care of the ex-president in the face of a possible scandal amid the pandemic, and on the other hand, in view of the Nación Seguros [insurance] case, to protect the business of her husband Héctor Martínez Sosa,” said a source who is knowledgeable about both cases and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Could Cantero go from being a witness to one of the accused? It is likely, given she is obliged to tell the truth without the need to have her defence present, whereas in the second scenario of her being called to testify she could tell her version of events while exercising her right to being defended and assisted by legal counsel.
Will Cantero say that the messages never existed? She will have to explain or potentially protect herself, especially if the questions relate to both cases.
The gender violence allegations was not obliged to report the gender violence allegations since they come from the private domain, but in cases where there is danger to the state (a public injury crime), she would have been obliged to do so.
Ex-government official
A completely different case is that of former Women, Gender & Diversity minister Ayelén Mazzina, whom prosecutor González has asked to investigate separately.
She may be charged for a breach of a public official’s duties if she knew about the alleged violence and did not report it.
According to Yáñez’s allegations, she was the one who paid no heed to the call for help.
Mazzina has submitted a document to the Prosecutor’s Office denying the former first lady’s complaint.
Friend, Olivos manager to testify
Another on the list of witnesses is journalist Alicia Barrios, who will be called to bring clarity to courts about the true relationship between Fernández and Yáñez.
Next week, on August 26, another key appearance will come in the form of Daniel Rodríguez, a man Alberto Fernández trusted implicitly who – in his role as manager of the Olivos residence – was not only in charge of the entire site but also supervised the entering of other individuals and domestic staff.
For those close to the case, Rodríguez is the person who could know most “if the walls could talk.” He could have possibly witnessed and even intervened in some of the violence events Fabiola specified.
The testimony of Rodríguez, who is known as “El Gordo” by those in his inner circle, could swing the case entirely, especially as Prosecutor González’s attempts to recover CCTV footage from the residence from that era have been unsuccessful.
Evidence from the witnesses will be closely watched by two eagle-eyed viewers in particular: lawyer Silvia Carreiro, who is representing Fernández, wants to be able to question those called to testify; Prosecutor Carlos Rívolo, who is investigating the alleged influence-peddling charges in the “Nación Seguros” insurance case.
If needed, he may require the testimony of Rodríguez or Cantero under suspicion of a possible crime having been committed.
– TIMES/PERFIL
Comments