In the ninth hearing of the Cuadernos case trial, repentant businessmen described a bribery scheme in road public works that directly implicates Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Statements on pressures for illegal contributions and money flows to El Calafate were reviewed. The federal tribunal resumed reading the accusation in the segment known as 'la Camarita'.
The Cuadernos case again exposed ties between officials and businessmen during the Kirchnerist governments. The Federal Oral Tribunal 7 read imputations from repentants like Aldo Roggio, who recounted pressures from the top of Federal Planning. Julio De Vido allegedly told him that 'no se puede hacer política sin plata', and after his refusal, his business group faced exclusions from bids and delays in certificate payments.
Carlos Wagner, former president of the Argentine Chamber of Construction, admitted payments to Ernesto Clarens to bypass Vialidad Nacional delays, which created 'a very complicated situation' for companies. Others, like Miguel Aznar and Ángelo Calcaterra, detailed deliveries to Claudio Uberti and Clarens's role in speeding up payments in exchange for cash retributions.
Clarens described receiving company funds, converting them to dollars, and handing them to José López, who coordinated with Daniel Muñoz. The final destination was El Calafate, stored in a safe at the Kirchners' house, transported in suitcases via official planes from Aeroparque. He divided the scheme into two phases: from 2004 to 2010, with cartelization and 20% overprices (10% bribes, 10% black money); and post Néstor Kirchner's death, focused on delayed payments.
López reconstructed his 2016 attempt to hide nearly 9 million dollars in a convent, following indications attributed to Cristina Kirchner via Fabián Gutiérrez. He called her 'a very vengeful person' and recounted that in 2011 she requested payment lists for works, approving monthly quotas for companies like Austral Construcciones and Electroingeniería.
Former officials like Nelson Periotti and Cartellone Group businessmen denied involvement in bribes, claiming use of formal circuits. The trial, started in November, accuses Cristina Kirchner and others of illegal collection between 2003 and 2015. The hearing lasted nearly six hours and will resume on December 16.
