MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina will appeal on Thursday Judge Griesa's 'contempt of court'

Kicillof said the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York has sent no “warning” to Argentina regarding a contempt order

The Argentine government will present on Thursday its appellant’s brief over the contempt of court ordered by New York Judge Thomas Griesa, the Economy Ministry has confirmed. Griesa had ruled Argentina in contempt of his orders due to working on a plan to shift control over payments of its restructured debt to Buenos Aires.

 The Economy Ministry stated Argentina will present the briefing “in timely fashion,” thus confirming the deadline for the country to present its appellant’s brief is due on February 26, as was informed by the ámbito.com news website earlier on Tuesday.

However the Economy ministry commanded by Axel Kicillof said the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York has sent no “warning” to Argentina regarding a contempt order, as was reported by other media.

Griesa 'contempt of court' order dates to 29 September last year when Argentina refused to pay the 1.3bn dollars demanded by holdout NML fund belonging to Paul Singer.

The ministry also revealed that on 17 November 2014 Argentina had already presented a first appeal, 'strictly following procedural steps' despite the 'ridiculous and extravagant' decision from Judge Griesa which ignored the equal sovereignty principle and any country's immunity.

In related news Secretary General to the Executive, Anibal Fernández said Argentina pays “everybody, including holdouts and has never ceased in its willing to serve its debts”, and blasted that Daniel Pollack, the mediator appointed by US Judge Thomas Griesa to conduct bond negotiations between Argentina and holdouts or 'vulture funds', is a “representative” of holdouts.

“Far from a mediator,” Pollack is “plain and simple a representative” of vulture funds suing Argentina over its defaulted bonds more than a decade ago.

“Argentina has not changed its way of thinking,” the ex senator insisted and accused New York District Court Judge Thomas Griesa of “making a mess” of the case, “freezing 539 million dollars that were deposited at the City bank for it to pay on its condition of trustee to bondholders, and the English justice made the decision that Argentina paid and is not in default.”

On Monday during a national television address president Cristina Fernandez highlighted the same ruling by a London judge who decided interest payments on the debt were governed by English law, giving investors owning Euro-denominated Argentine government bonds a partial victory.

For Argentina, indeed the ruling vindicated the government's view that Griesa overstepped his competences in blocking the interest payments in the country's bond dispute with holdouts or “vulture funds.”

“It is unbelievable. They make us more Justice in London than in Argentina,” Cristina Fernandez said.