The Federal Oral Court 6 condemned this Friday, April 1, the former Secretary of Transportation, Richard James, eight years in prison, and the former Minister of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services, July of Vido, to four years in prison for fraud against public administration due to the purchase of trains to Spain and Portugal.
In the case of Jaime, who has been detained since 2016, he was also found guilty of the crime of illicit enrichmentso you will have to pay a fine of almost 15 million pesos. The sentence also covers other crimes, for which he was investigated for 14 years.
© Provided by Profile
Eleven tragedy, which occurred on February 22, 2012.
With regard to the former Minister of Planning, who held the position during the government of Nestor Kirchner and the two mandates of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchnerwas also sentenced with perpetual disqualification for the crime of co-author of fraudulent administration.
Currently, De Vido is serving house arrest pending what the Supreme Court determines for the cause of the Tragedy of Eleven -where 52 people lost their lives and another 700 were injured- in which he was already sentenced to five years in prison.
The judges Julio Panelo, Fernando Canero and Ricardo Baslico agreed with the trial prosecutor, Gabriela Baigúnwho had asked eight years in prison for Jaime and four for De Vido. “Jaime illicitly enriched himself while he was a public official. He was ‘poor’ when he came to office but that changed because the favors of the businessmen were not long in coming”, said Baigún.
According to the TOF 6, the former Secretary of Transportation will continue in the Ezeiza prison since he must serve his sentence in prison.
The Court rejected Jaime and Vido’s request for annulment
In mid-February, the mentioned court made the determination of reject the annulment of the oral trial filed by former officials. The proposal originated from the changes in composition because one of the judges, Jose Martinez Sobrino He turned 75 and retired.
© Provided by Profile
Julio de Vido and Ricardo Jaime.
The proposal had been made since the replacement judge was not present at all hearings. According to Dr. Baigún’s accusation, Jaime and De Vido took advantage of the railway reactivation policy that Kirchnerism carried out to buy trains called “junk”, incompatible with the Argentine railway system.
The accusation against Ricardo Jaime and Julio De Vido
This is the Jaime’s fourth convictionwho has already been sentenced to six months in prison for the theft of evidence and to one year and two months in prison for bribery in an abbreviated trial. Finally, he adds the sentence to five years in prison for fraud for the Eleven tragedy.
The indictment indicates that the two former officials were accused of “fraudulent administration and bribery” for a sum close to one hundred million euros, according to General Auditor of the Nation (AGN). It was also suggested that the former secretary received a gift of a a million dollars through a consultancy Manuel Vazquez, considered his figurehead.
“It is proven that De Vido, in his capacity as Minister of Planning, and Jaime, in his capacity as Secretary of Transportation, carried out a series of legal acts that, raping the duties in charge, forced and committed illegally to the patrimony of the National State”, says the allegation of the Prosecutor’s Office.
FP CP