What does the Cassation ruling that upheld Cristina's conviction in the Vialidad case say?

On November 13, 2024, the Federal Criminal Cassation Chamber upheld the conviction against the corrupt former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to six years in prison and perpetual disqualification from holding public office, for the crime of fraudulent administration in the case regarding the awarding of public works contracts to businessman Lázaro Báez in the province of Santa Cruz.

In an extensive 1,541-page ruling, Chamber IV of the court also confirmed the sentences imposed on Báez (6 years), former Secretary of Public Works José López (6 years), former head of the National Highway Directorate Nelson Periotti (6 years), as well as former officials of Santa Cruz's Highway Administration: Juan Carlos Villafañe (5 years), Raúl Gilberto Pavesi (4 years and 6 months), José Raúl Santibañez (4 years), Mauricio Collareda (4 years), and Raúl Osvaldo Daruich (3 years and 6 months).

That same day, the court also upheld the acquittals of several figures, including former Minister of Planning Julio De Vido, former Undersecretary of Public Works Abel Fatala, and former officials Héctor Garro and Carlos Kirchner, cousin of former president Néstor Kirchner. In the case of Carlos Kirchner, the acquittal was based on the statute of limitations of the case.

The sentence against Cristina Kirchner was supported by judges Mariano Borinsky and Diego Barroetaveña. In contrast, judge Gustavo Hornos expressed support for increasing the sentence and including the crime of illicit association, as requested by the prosecution.

This Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected all appeals filed by the former president's defense and upheld the conviction. As a result, Cristina Kirchner must serve house arrest and is disqualified from running as a candidate in the upcoming legislative elections in the province of Buenos Aires.

“From 2003 to 2015, national and provincial public officials, among whom was the twice president of the Nation Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, carried out a fraudulent scheme that significantly harmed the national government's finances, as public funds were diverted in favor of businessman Lázaro Antonio Báez through the awarding of road public works contracts to his companies”, the judges stated in their ruling.

Meanwhile, Chamber IV of the Federal Criminal Cassation Chamber upheld the forfeiture of an amount close to 84,000 million pesos.