Pawan Kumar
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Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner: Argentina’s Vice President and leftist leader Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been sentenced to six years in prison and a lifetime ban on public office in a corruption case. An Argentine federal court found him guilty in a high-profile corruption case. She can challenge the sentence in the Supreme Court. Kirchner, 69, was accused of irregularities in the awarding of public works contracts by his administration during his two terms as president between 2007 and 2015. Kirchner was also accused of running a criminal organization, which was dismissed by a three-judge panel.
According to Aljazeera’s report, in August this year, the prosecution urged the court to sentence the Vice President to 12 years in prison and a life ban on his politics. Kirchner has termed his sentence as flawed and premeditated. After the verdict, Kirchner said that she has become a victim of parallel government and judicial mafia.
Prosecution’s allegations and Kirchner’s objection
Prosecutors alleged that public works contracts were given to a businessman associate of Fernández de Kirchner, who later paid the money back to her and her late husband Nestor Kirchner. Nestor Kirchner was also the President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007.
The chief prosecutor had termed the alleged scheme of distribution of contracts as the country’s biggest corruption campaign. Kirchner’s supporters have said that the case is an example of political and judicial tyranny. Kirchner alleged that the court was like a firing squad for him and the prosecutors were bent on how to insult him (Kirchner).
Compulsion of President Alberto Fernandez!
The report said that Argentina, a victim of political polarization, has been facing a long-standing economic crisis, where inflation is moving towards 100 percent. In such circumstances, due to the sentencing of Kirchner, there is a lot of anger among his supporters, which is expected to increase. The report said the case would impact President Alberto Fernandez’s ruling government, which is facing a tough fight to fend off a challenge from the conservative opposition in next year’s general elections.
Court’s decision in the opinion of experts
Ahead of the court’s decision on Tuesday, Rosendo Fraga, a political analyst at the University of Buenos Aires, told the AFP news agency that the verdict would have a strong political impact. Fraga also said that the potential appeal process could take six years or more.
It will take time for Kirchner to go to jail!
In the report, quoting other experts, it has been said that Kirchner will not go to jail soon. Lawyer Alejandro Carrio said that the process of appealing for justice from the High Court to the Supreme Court could take years and that Kirchner is privileged by being the current vice president, which means he is one of the officials whose removal A political test is needed. Along with Kirchner, eight of the other accused found guilty were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to six-and-a-half years. Three people were acquitted and the cases of the rest were dismissed.
Kirchner narrowly escaped the deadly attack
Let us tell you that a few months ago, Fernandez de Kirchner survived a murder outside her house in Buenos Aires, a man pointed a gun at her head and pressed the trigger but the bullet did not fire. Thousands of his supporters took to the streets to protest against the attack on Kirchner.
