MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine bomb suspects acquitted.

The five members of the so-called “local connection” implicated in the 1994 extremist bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people were acquitted here Thursday for lack of evidence. Relatives immediately reacted calling it the “end of Justice” in Argentina.

After nearly three years, the longest trial in Argentina's history ended with the acquittal of a used-car dealer and four former members of the Buenos Aires provincial police accused of taking bribes.

On July 18, 1994, a car bomb destroyed the six stories Israeli-Argentine Mutual Association (AMIA) building. In addition to the deaths, more than 200 people were wounded in Argentina's worst-ever terrorist attack. The attack was allegedly financed by Iranian radicals with the assistance of the five men on trial.

The so-called "local connection" included used car dealer Carlos Telleldin and former Buenos Aires provincial police officers Juan Jose Ribelli, Raul Ibarra, Anastasio Leal and Mario Bareiro.

Magistrate Miguel Pons, presiding over the three-judge panel, read the verdict acquitting the five defendants. Only Bareiro and Leal will be released, however. Telleldin, Ribelli and Ibarra face additional charges.

"Today, we the relatives feel very discouraged, because 10 years of struggle down the drain ... We trusted that some day we would achieve justice ... Today is another day of mourning; it's the death of justice" cried Sofia Guterman, mother of one of the bombing victims.

The court acquitted 22 defendants, of whom 17 are or were policemen in Buenos Aires province, though only five of the 22 were accused of actually taking part in the attack.

The judges only read part of the verdict on Thursday, but they are scheduled to read the entire ruling October 29. Since the start of the trial on September 24/01, a total of 1,284 witnesses testified and 342 hearings were conducted. It has also been the most expensive trial in Argentine history, over 50 million US dollars.

The investigation of the bombing was initially handled by Judge Juan Jose Galeano, who was removed from the case in December and now faces charges of "irregularities" in his handling of the matter.

Judge Galeano and prosecutors contend Telleldin and the four ex-policemen provided the terrorists with the vehicle used in the car bombing.

Some Argentine investigators and the local Jewish community have accused former Iranian diplomats of planning the attack they say was conducted by the radical Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah.

Shortly before the start of the trial's final hearing, AMIA president Abraham Kaul said a new line of investigation may be pursued if the court's three judges decide not enough evidence exists for a conviction. "We know concrete, solid evidence is lacking. Our lawyers presented circumstantial evidence, but the judges could rule there is not enough hard evidence to convict" admitted Mr. Kaul. Among other irregularities Mr. Kaul claims the Argentine secret service paid Telleldin $400,000 to provide information on the individuals who carried out the attack.

The bombing of the cultural center was the worst terrorist attack in Argentina. However it was preceded by another bombing on March 17, 1992, that destroyed the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing 29 people and injuring 100.