Scandal over $132 million whitewash by president's associates prompts Macri to target whistleblowers
Shaken by revelations that presidential friends and relatives used a recent tax amnesty law to "whitewash" over $132 million in undeclared offshore funds, Argentine President Mauricio Macri has reportedly ordered Public Revenue head Alberto Abad to launch an internal investigation into the leak, first reported by the Buenos Aires news daily Página/12 on August 27.
The news raised concern among press freedom advocates in Argentina.
Macri had unsuccessfully pushed for language in the tax amnesty bill to penalize reporting on its beneficiaries with large fines and jail time. The conservative news daily La Nación - a Macri ally - reported in April moreover that lawmakers, media figures, and even famed football forward Lionel Messi, are routinely spied on by Macri's intelligence agency AFI.
"It can't be that we cannot guarantee tax secrecy," Macri repeated angrily this week according to Casa Rosada sources. "We look ridiculous to everybody."
The Tax Amnesty Law, passed by Congress at Macri's urging in July 2016, was amended by decree that November to allow family, friends, and associates of the administration to take advantage of the offer, which drops all tax evasion charges or potential charges in exchange for a 10% payment.
The amnesty resulted in a record $116 billion in offshore funds being declared by the March 2017 deadline, although 93% remained offshore. Among those who thus "whitewashed" their previously undeclared funds were:
·Nicolás Caputo, the president's best friend and a top public works contractor for the city of Buenos Aires while Macri was mayor between 2007 and 2015: $26.5 million.
·Alejandro Peña, cousin of the president's Chief of Staff Marcos Peña: $6.2 million.
·Manuel Torino, brother-in-law of Pablo Clusellas - Secretary of the President's Legal and Technical Office, and childhood friend: $20 million.
·Marcelo Mindlin, head of the nation's largest private electric company Pampa Energía and reputed cutout for the Macri family since his purchase of their public works contractor IECSA in March: $44 million.
·And Gianfranco Macri, the president's brother: $35.5 million.
Federal prosecutors are investigating at least six cases involving Macri, some of them stemming from his family's extensive business holdings.
Allegations range from influence trafficking to money laundering related to the Panama Papers, the Odebrecht scandal, the purchase of a failing Macri charter airline (MacAir) by Colombia's Avianca in exchange for access to local routes, and an attempted write-off of up to $250 million in Macri Group debts to the Argentine postal service.
So far none of the cases has resulted in charges against the president, and he denies wrongdoing; but they've become a headache for his center-right "Let's Change" coalition heading into legislative elections on October 22.
"The suspicion is that Gianfranco Macri's $35.5 million declaration puts the lie to Mauricio Macri's financial disclosure affidavits," opposition Congressman Darío Martínez said. "The president claims that his capital amounts to $4.7 million, or seven times less than what his brother whitewashed."
"Then only two hypotheses fit: or poor Mauricio was disinherited; or, Mauricio is not as poor as he claims and is hiding much of his estate."
At: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagina12.com.ar%2F59215-gianfrancamente-hablando&edit-text=
And: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elintransigente.com%2Fpolitica%2F2017%2F10%2F6%2Fmacri-pone-impaciente-falta-avances-investigacion-afip-459586.html
Gianfranco Macrì, Marcos Peña, Marcelo Mindlin, Nicky Caputo, and Pablo Clusellas.
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