The progress of the Vialidad case, involving Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and eight other people, marked a key milestone this afternoon. Meanwhile, the Donald Trump administration sanctioned her for her corruption cases.
The Federal Chamber of Criminal Cassation rejected the appeals from both the prosecutor and the defendants' defenses. With this decision, the case could now reach the Supreme Court through a complaint appeal, that is, without the Chamber's support.
The intervention of the highest court, without a defined deadline, will be decisive for the sentences to become final and effective.
Chamber IV of the Criminal Cassation Chamber, composed of judges Mariano Borinsky, Gustavo Hornos, and Diego Barroetaveña, dismissed the appeals filed by the convicted individuals' lawyers and prosecutor Mario Villar against the ruling issued by the same Chamber last November.
In that ruling, the sentences handed down by Federal Oral Court 2 were upheld, which established a six-year prison sentence and perpetual disqualification from holding public office for defrauding the Public Administration, in relation to the 51 road works awarded to businessman Lázaro Báez between 2003 and 2015.
In its resolution, Chamber IV declared inadmissible the federal extraordinary appeals filed by the defenses of the nine convicted individuals, including Cristina Fernández, Lázaro Báez, and José López.
In addition to the prison sentences, the ruling includes the forfeiture of 84.8 billion pesos, adjustable, and the absolute and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
Furthermore, the court rejected the extraordinary appeal filed by the general prosecutor Mario Villar regarding the confirmation of acquittals for the crime of illicit association.
At this point, Judge Hornos dissented and proposed granting the extraordinary appeal to the prosecutor exclusively regarding the accusation of illicit association and the increase in the amount of the forfeiture.
