28 December 2016
Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been charged over corruption allegations. Judge ordered the freezing of $633m of Ms Fernandez’s assets. It is not known whether she has that amount of money.
Ms Fernandez is accused of awarding more than 50 contracts worth about $2.9 billion, for public projects to a construction company, Austral, belonging to Mr Lázaro Báez . Báez became a friend of Néstor Kirchner, late husband of  Ms Fernandez, in 1991. He helped Kirchner to send large sums of money stolen from the government to tax havens.
Charges were also filed against her former associates, former planning minister Julio de Vido and former public works Secretary Jose Lopez. Lázaro Báez was also charged.
Mr Lopez is now being investigated for money laundering. He was trying to hide $7m  dollars, yen, euros and other currencies, in a monastery.  Lopez was working for former Planning Minister Julio De Vido.
Like all other fallen leaders, Fernandez claimed that she was victim of persecution by her successor, Mauricio Macri.
A judge is also seeking to revive an investigation into Fernández over an alleged cover-up of bombing of the Argentinian Israelite Mutual Association and causing its main building to collapse and killing 85 people. It is alleged that Iranians did the bombing and Ms Fernandez covered it up.
It was also alleged that she manipulated the central bank’s sale of future dollar contracts in the final months of her presidency which resulted in loss to the government.
Ms Fernandez served two terms from 2007 to December 2015. She succeeded her husband, the late Nestor Kirchner, who was in power from 2003 to 2007.
What is happening now in Argentina is like what is going on in the neighbouring state, Brazil.

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