MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina officially reacts to Miami court cash scandal case

CFK & Chavez: Money, money and too many Pinocchio characters

The Argentine government said that relations with United States “have been affected” and described the Miami federal court cash scandal case, which allegedly involved money for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner electoral campaign, as a political operation.

"Mature relations that must exist among States can't be affected on instances of political operations of this kind", said a release from the Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry. "The irresponsible statements from US prosecutors based on material fabricated by the FBI, --that is, with knowledge of US political authorities--, affect in an unacceptable manner the jurisdictional power of our country (Argentina) and imply the improper use of a judicial case with subordinate political purposes". US ambassador in Buenos Aires Earl Anthony Wayne denied any links of the case with the administration of President George W. Bush underlining that "one of the pillars of our government system is an independent Judiciary branch". On Wednesday the Miami jurors heard recordings from tapes where Guido Antonini Wilson, the US-Venezuelan citizen who carried the suitcase which was seized at a Buenos Aires airport August 2007, states that the 800.000 US dollars actually belonged to Claudio Uberti, an Argentine official, close associate of then President Nestor Kirchner and the man responsible for all trade and financial liaisons with the Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez. They also were informed that a task force of four was sent by Venezuelan intelligence, with Argentine acquiescence, to try and convince Antonini, by then in Miami, not to reveal the origin (Venezuelan government oil corporation PDVSA) or destination (Kirchners' campaign) of the money. They proposed that Antonini voluntarily show up before a court in Buenos Aires, with the support of the best Argentine solicitors, paid by Venezuela, and after a prudential period of time the case would be shelved and he could return clean to the US. On Thursday the Court was told that the suitcase was seized because the private aircraft contracted by the Argentine Energy corporation Enarsa, carrying Argentine officials, Antonini and the money, was late in arriving in Buenos Aires airport and the new Customs shift was not aware that they were not to inspected. On Thursday prosecution witness Moises Maionica, one of the four unregistered agents, revealed that a man identified as an Argentine Judicial Affairs Deputy minister, whose name was not disclosed, was also part of the cover up operation organized at the headquarters of Venezuelan intelligence in Caracas. According to tape recordings from the FBI, the man who accompanied the Argentine official to Caracas for the cover up operation was Angel Morales, PDVSA manager for the South (Argentina and Uruguay). In Buenos Aires following on the "fabrication theory" defense, cabinet chief Sergio Massa speaking in Government House next to President Cristina Kirchner described Guido Antonini as a "delinquent" and challenged him to ratify his accusations before Argentine justice. "It is unbelievable that statements from this ominous character dealer of black money are taken seriously", said Massa.