The fallout from the acquittal of businessman,Ángelo Calcaterra, (a cousin of ex-president Mauricio Macri) has not ended with the controversial June 19 Federal Cassation Court ruling that the money he paid to Federal Planning Ministry officials during previous Kirchnerite presidencies was not bribery for public works contracts but electoral “campaign contributions.”
The lawyers of no less than 11 businessmen in the same boat as Calcaterra are looking very closely at this ruling with a view to lodging a similar plea with the active encouragement of Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona, who in the past successfully defended Hugo Eurnekian of Corporación América over similar charges. The whole massive ‘cuadernos’ (“notebooks”) trial of Kirchnerite corruption (named after the detailed chronicling of bribe payments by former Federal Planning Ministry chauffeur Oscar Centeno) could be jeopardised if its business half collapses with only 10 working days as from the ruling to appeal to the Supreme Court.
SOURCE: www.batimes.com.ar