MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Taiana's number two resigns over illegal car imports scandal

Ambassador Victorio Taccetti

Argentina's ambassador in Italy Victorio Taccetti has been named Deputy Foreign Affairs minister to replace Roberto Garcia Moritán who resigned amid a growing scandal over illegal car imports. Minister Jorge Taiana's number two insisted his resignation was for “personal reasons”.

However, García Moritán stepped down on the same day as Protocol Director Ambassador Marcelo Pujó, who has been summoned to testify in the case in which cars were imported with diplomatic tax exemptions and then sold or given to non-diplomats. Pujó, whose job implies frequent contact with President Cristina Fernández, told La Nación newspaper that his resignation on Tuesday was "to avoid whatever possible prejudice or negative twist that the investigation may have for the minister or for higher authorities of the nation." Pujó explained that the ministry's Tax Department fell under his responsibility although the management of that department was in the hands of Jorge Matas, the main suspect in the case. One of the illegally imported cars was registered to Matas' wife, while many others are reported to have gone to well-known Argentine celebrities and sports people. Ambassadors from Russia, Cuba and several other Latinamerican countries are involved in the probe. The resignation of García Moritán came as a shock because of the timing. He insisted, however that his decision was a personal one. "I'm 60 years old and I want to rethink the next 10 years of my life. It's time I spent more time on my private life," he told reporters. According to some reports, his resignation had been expected for a while, due to growing frustration over recent upsets at the ministry, among them the uncomfortable visit of an African president accused of human rights abuses and the failed appointment of former justice minister and divorcee Alberto Iribarne as ambassador to the Holy See. The new Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Ambassador Taccetti is a solicitor and professional diplomat, close friend of Taiana and worked in 2003 in support of Nestor Kirchner's presidential campaign. Taccetti held posts in Mexico, United States both in the embassy in Washington and in the consular offices of Houton and New York. In Buenos Aires he was Under Secretary for Latinamerican affairs and for International Coordination and Cooperation. He has completed graduate studies on International Economic Relations from the University degli Studi in Florence, Italy and in Political Science in the University of Houston, Texas.