Argentina’s Ex-President Kirchner Denies Involvement In Graft Network

Argentina's Ex-President Kirchner Denies Involvement In Graft Network

Argentina's former president Cristina Kirchner on Tuesday denied any involvement in a corruption network that allegedly operated under her presidency, saying there was no evidence against her.

Kirchner said in a written statement she handed over to Buenos Aires judge Sebastian Casanello.

Kirchner is due to go on trial in February over her ties to entrepreneur Lazaro Baez, who was close to her family and received public work contracts during her 2007-15 presidency.

"Not only do I know nothing about this supposed manoeuver, but there is no element of evidence that links me to it," Kirchner said.

"[Investigators] can continue watching the movements of me and my family, listen to my phone conversations in secret and excavate all of the Argentinian [region of] Patagonia … they will never find anything to implicate me," Kirchner said.

The ex-president denied ever having had bank accounts she did not declare to the tax authorities.

Kirchner had been summoned to give a statement in the Baez investigation one day after she was charged with corruption in another case.

In that case, construction and energy entrepreneurs are suspected of paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to the governments of Kirchner and her husband, the late president Nestor Kirchner (2003-07).

She is facing half a dozen corruption-related investigations. Her seat in the Senate protects her from being detained, but she can be put on trial.

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Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE

Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner