Argentine Prosecutor Says Nisman Weighed Arresting President (2)
2015-02-03 19:25:39.268 GMT
(Adds opinion poll in 12th paragraph.)
By Daniel Cancel and Pablo Gonzalez
(Bloomberg) -- A day after Argentina’s cabinet chief tore
up a newspaper article, ridiculing the story that said deceased
prosecutor Alberto Nisman had considered the arrest of the
president, the investigator into his death confirmed the report.
A draft document calling for the detention of President
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and members of her government was
found in Nisman’s apartment after his body was discovered with a
bullet to the head on Jan. 18, prosecutor Viviana Fein said.
“The drafts are there, they’ve been incorporated as part
of my role,” Fein said in a radio interview on Vorterix. “They
have to do with the allegations by doctor Nisman, as was
anticipated by the media, seeking the arrest of the president.”
Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich on Feb. 2 tore up a copy of
the article published in Clarin on Sunday that said Nisman, 51,
had sought Fernandez’s arrest for trying to cover up the alleged
involvement of Iranian officials in a 1994 bombing in exchange
for trade benefits. Nisman’s death, a day before he was due to
present evidence to congress, has roiled Argentine politics and
captivated public opinion.
Nisman charged members of Iran and Hezbollah in 2006 with
organizing the bombing that killed 85 people and issued eight
arrest warrants. Seven years later, Fernandez signed a
memorandum of understanding with the Iranians to set up a joint
panel to investigate the case.
According to Nisman, the aim of the accord was for Iranian
officials to be taken off Interpol’s wanted list. In exchange,
Argentina would export grains and meat to Iran and receive oil.
Trash Can
The draft document that included the request for the arrest
of Fernandez, was dated June 2014 and was found in the trash can
of Nisman’s house, Clarin reported.
Fein said a statement published Feb. 2 by the general
prosecutor’s office denying the existence of the draft was an
error. It was not part of the broader dossier of evidence
against Fernandez published on the Internet, he said.
The discovery of Nisman’s body slumped against the door of
his bathroom in a locked house surrounded by security agents
triggered a series of conspiracy theories. Prosecutor Fein said
today his apartment building in the upscale neighborhood of
Puerto Madero had “serious anomalies” that allowed for people
to enter and leave without being detected.
Fernandez’s Reputation
Fernandez has said she is convinced Nisman was killed in
order to dirty the reputation of her government, while others
suspect he was murdered to halt his investigation.
The president has ordered the intelligence agency to be
overhauled after indicating that former spies fed Nisman with
false information to promote his case against her.
With just nine months left in office, Fernandez’s image is
suffering from the scandal. A poll conducted by Management & Fit
published Feb. 1 showed that 84.5 percent of the 1,000 people
surveyed thought the Nisman case will either largely or somewhat
affect her image.
Capitanich, who spoke today at the same time as Fein, said
Clarin’s reporting of the case was another “operation by the
press, looking through the trash.” He didn’t say if the draft
document existed or not.
Secretary General Anibal Fernandez said Fein’s
contradictions were an “embarrassment” and asked whether
someone had given her the document. While questioning the
report’s authenticity, he told La Red radio station that its
discovery in the garbage was proof that Nisman knew his
accusations wouldn’t stand up in court.
“Nisman must have realized what rubbish it was and so he
had to backpedal,” Fernandez said.
For Related News and Information:
Top Argentina news: TOP AR <GO>
Top news from Latin America: TOPL <GO>
--With assistance from Charlie Devereux in Buenos Aires.
To contact the reporters on this story:
Daniel Cancel in Buenos Aires at +54-11-4321-7736 or
dcancel@bloomberg.net;
Pablo Gonzalez in Buenos Aires at +54-11-4321-7731 or
pgonzalez49@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Andre Soliani at +55-61-3329-1605 or
asoliani@bloomberg.net
Philip Sanders
2015-02-03 19:25:39.268 GMT
(Adds opinion poll in 12th paragraph.)
By Daniel Cancel and Pablo Gonzalez
(Bloomberg) -- A day after Argentina’s cabinet chief tore
up a newspaper article, ridiculing the story that said deceased
prosecutor Alberto Nisman had considered the arrest of the
president, the investigator into his death confirmed the report.
A draft document calling for the detention of President
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and members of her government was
found in Nisman’s apartment after his body was discovered with a
bullet to the head on Jan. 18, prosecutor Viviana Fein said.
“The drafts are there, they’ve been incorporated as part
of my role,” Fein said in a radio interview on Vorterix. “They
have to do with the allegations by doctor Nisman, as was
anticipated by the media, seeking the arrest of the president.”
Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich on Feb. 2 tore up a copy of
the article published in Clarin on Sunday that said Nisman, 51,
had sought Fernandez’s arrest for trying to cover up the alleged
involvement of Iranian officials in a 1994 bombing in exchange
for trade benefits. Nisman’s death, a day before he was due to
present evidence to congress, has roiled Argentine politics and
captivated public opinion.
Nisman charged members of Iran and Hezbollah in 2006 with
organizing the bombing that killed 85 people and issued eight
arrest warrants. Seven years later, Fernandez signed a
memorandum of understanding with the Iranians to set up a joint
panel to investigate the case.
According to Nisman, the aim of the accord was for Iranian
officials to be taken off Interpol’s wanted list. In exchange,
Argentina would export grains and meat to Iran and receive oil.
Trash Can
The draft document that included the request for the arrest
of Fernandez, was dated June 2014 and was found in the trash can
of Nisman’s house, Clarin reported.
Fein said a statement published Feb. 2 by the general
prosecutor’s office denying the existence of the draft was an
error. It was not part of the broader dossier of evidence
against Fernandez published on the Internet, he said.
The discovery of Nisman’s body slumped against the door of
his bathroom in a locked house surrounded by security agents
triggered a series of conspiracy theories. Prosecutor Fein said
today his apartment building in the upscale neighborhood of
Puerto Madero had “serious anomalies” that allowed for people
to enter and leave without being detected.
Fernandez’s Reputation
Fernandez has said she is convinced Nisman was killed in
order to dirty the reputation of her government, while others
suspect he was murdered to halt his investigation.
The president has ordered the intelligence agency to be
overhauled after indicating that former spies fed Nisman with
false information to promote his case against her.
With just nine months left in office, Fernandez’s image is
suffering from the scandal. A poll conducted by Management & Fit
published Feb. 1 showed that 84.5 percent of the 1,000 people
surveyed thought the Nisman case will either largely or somewhat
affect her image.
Capitanich, who spoke today at the same time as Fein, said
Clarin’s reporting of the case was another “operation by the
press, looking through the trash.” He didn’t say if the draft
document existed or not.
Secretary General Anibal Fernandez said Fein’s
contradictions were an “embarrassment” and asked whether
someone had given her the document. While questioning the
report’s authenticity, he told La Red radio station that its
discovery in the garbage was proof that Nisman knew his
accusations wouldn’t stand up in court.
“Nisman must have realized what rubbish it was and so he
had to backpedal,” Fernandez said.
For Related News and Information:
Top Argentina news: TOP AR <GO>
Top news from Latin America: TOPL <GO>
--With assistance from Charlie Devereux in Buenos Aires.
To contact the reporters on this story:
Daniel Cancel in Buenos Aires at +54-11-4321-7736 or
dcancel@bloomberg.net;
Pablo Gonzalez in Buenos Aires at +54-11-4321-7731 or
pgonzalez49@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Andre Soliani at +55-61-3329-1605 or
asoliani@bloomberg.net
Philip Sanders