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Argentine prosecutor presses for indictment of president

Saturday, 14 February 2015 11:24 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 14 February 2015 11:24 AM ]

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner

Manoel Giffoni
Press TV, Buenos Aires

The decision taken by the Federal Prosecutor, Gerardo Pollicita, has sent shockwaves through the nation. Argentine President Cristina Kirchner and her foreign minister were formally charged with covering up the alleged role of former Iranian officials in a bombing of a Jewish community center back in 1994. An allegation that Iran has firmly rejected and was already proven groundless as the judiciary was unable to produce any solid evidence against Tehran in more than two decades.

The unparalleled move by the judiciary against the government is the latest development in a long standing dispute between these two state institutions.

Prosecutor Pollicita was appointed by the Attorney General to take over the case filed by the late prosecutor Alberto Nisman who was found dead after lodging a criminal complaint against President Kirchner on January 14th.

Top officials characterized Pollicita's decision as a strategy of political destabilization and the biggest judicial coup d’etat in the history of Argentina.

In response to the charges, the Treasury Attorney General, who represents the executive in litigation cases, submitted a 67-page document with highly relevant evidence to refute the accusations and endorse the legitimacy and legality of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Iran in 2013.

According to officials, the prosecutor serves the interests of the domestic and international far-right which aims at sullying the image of the government ahead of the elections.

In light of the political turmoil caused by the indictment of the president, the head of the Federal Court in charge of prosecuting the criminal complaint against Kirchner was compelled to cancel his annual leave and immediately return to the country. Meanwhile, opposition parties have called for a massive demonstration against the government next week.

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