Guillermo Kraisman, detained in Bouwer since January for attempted fraud using a false DNI, will be released after paying bail of 20 million pesos (44,092 pounds) and handing over a vehicle. The measure was authorized by the judiciary after prosecutor Franco Mondino declared the investigation concluded. The judicial case, already sent to trial, keeps him charged with attempted fraud against the public administration.
The case broke out when the Peronist leader attempted to collect one million pesos (2,205 pounds) using the identity of the so-called "phantom employee" of the Cordoba Legislature. The scheme, discovered at a bank branch in the General Paz neighborhood, also led to charges against other individuals involved. Since then, Kraisman's pretrial detention in Bouwer has been considered exemplary in light of the political connections in the case.
The release on bail only highlights the impunity with which Peronist politicians operate in Cordoba. Kraisman is yet another cog in a corrupt system that repeats itself with phantom employees and misappropriated public funds. His release raises questions about the real effectiveness of the judiciary in the face of corruption.
