Judge sends two ex-Macri officials to trial over $750 million in toll firm payouts
In the last full week of a lengthy judicial career, Argentine Federal Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral on Monday committed former National Highways Director Javier Iguacel and former Treasury Prosecutor Bernardo Saravia Frías to trial for fraudulent administration.
The charges relate to presumed irregularities in the awarding of highway toll concessions during the 2015-19 Mauricio Macri administration, in which the two officials served.
Canicoba Corral also slapped a lien of half a billion pesos ($6.6 million) on the assets of each - but chose not to remand them in custody.
The case is also investigating the 10-year extension of the concessions to the toll companies in 2018 without calling new tenders.
The Argentine state, in 2017, also paid out at least $500 million to Ausol and a further $250 million to Concesionaria Oeste as compensation for presumed investments made since 1994. These companies are accused of claiming these debts despite not complying with their obligations.
Macri, who owned 7% of Ausol, sold his shares for a reported 3,125% profit following these moves.
At: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/judge-sends-two-ex-macri-administration-officials-to-trial.phtml
Former Argentine Treasury Prosecutor Bernardo Saravia Frías and former National Highways Director Javier Iguacel.
Both are currently on trial for the allegedly fraudulent award of some $750 million to two toll operators - one of which was partially owned by their boss, former President Mauricio Macri.
Saravia Frías, a longtime Macri famly lawyer, has also been implicated in Macri's attempt to write off a $270 million debt to the postal service in 2017 - when he was named to replace Treasury Prosecutor Carlos Balbín, over Balbín's refusal to approve the write-off.
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Federal Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral
The judge's future is so bright, he's just gotta wear shades!
They look as if they have been sent over from "Central Casting," don't they? My gosh!
Their photos are epic. It would be harder to find two faces that would look sleazier than theirs, but Macri's face can hold its own, too.
At the very beginning of the article posted, seeing the toll racket immediately, and Macri's name, recalling you had already mentioned the connection much closer to the beginning of Macri's Reign of Greed and Treachery. He had already been free-wheeling, with his larcenous mitts into everything long before he was "elected" as the President, right? He entered grifting, just like Trump.
This trial could get pretty wild, couldn't it? I certainly hope so! It would be fine entertainment for the people who had to suffer from the dirty deals being perpetrated at their expense.
It probably would be a good idea if US prosecutors started looking into this kind of business which has been going on in the US since the 1950's or so. There's got to be similar stories here, too. Former Treasury Prosecutor Bernardo Saravia Frías and former National Highways Director Javier Iguacel simply do NOT resemble legitimate, hard working officials at ALL. Maybe they had "no show" jobs working for Macri.
Thank you, sandensea, for giving us more to anticipate!
