MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former President Menem Faces Courts

An Argentine judge summoned Carlos Menem on Wednesday to answer questions about his recent disclosure of a Swiss bank account, opening a new legal fray for the former president as he campaigns for a third term.

Menem, who governed Argentina from 1989 to 1999, will appear in court on Sept. 23 as part of an investigation into his finances, now under increased scrutiny after he admitted publicly last month that he opened the account ? reported to contain $600,000.

It marked the latest in a series of legal troubles for Menem, who stepped down from office two years ago amid a swirl of corruption accusations clouding his administration.

The 72-year-old former president had repeatedly denied in the past that he had a Swiss bank account. Investigators say they are probing why he failed to include it in financial disclosure papers he filed while in office.

A Menem aide blasted the summons by Federal Judge Norberto Oyarbide, calling it politically motivated and saying it is aimed at damaging the former president's quest for a return to office.

Menem is attempting a comeback in a fight for his Peronist party's primary nomination in November. The presidential ballot is to be held next March as the government struggles with country's most severe economic crisis in history.

"There is a constant effort to embroil the former president in matters that generate media attention but have little to do with the campaign," said Javier Mourino, a Menem aide.

In a radio interview, Mourino added that the president would not shrink from testifying fully about the account as he had done nothing wrong. "There are many people who are interested in harming Menem's electoral chances," he said without elaborating.

Menem has said the account was opened in 1986 with some $200,000 from a legal settlement he won after being jailed as a political prisoner of the past military dictatorship. He said the account is fully legal and that the money, with interest, had grown to about $600,000.

However, the Swiss account presents a potentially damaging gauntlet for Menem, who was held under house arrest for six months last year until he successfully cleared himself in an arms running scandal.

Although not a front-runner for the Peronist nomination, Menem is still considered one of the most influential members of his party and his chances of winning the primary are a source of daily speculation.

Corruption scandals plagued several key Menem aides during his two-term administration, but none touched upon Menem personally until the gunrunning probe brought him into the courts.