MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Interpol red alert out against “Pepín” Rodríguez Simón but arrest will have to wait

Pepín shall not be arrested until his request for political asylum is answered

Interpol Uruguay received a red alert for the arrest of former Macrist aide Fabián “Pepín” Rodríguez Simón but his arrest will have to wait until his request for political asylum is answered, it was reported.

Rodríguez Simón, in Montevideo as an Argentine deputy to the Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur), is sought for his alleged involvement in coercing businessmen Cristóbal López and Fabián DeSousa that it was in their best interest to sell their stake in the Indalo media group to associates of former Buenos Aires Mayor and later President Mauricio Macri because of the legal consequences it would bring them not to comply. In other words, he is wanted for alleged “association to commit a crime.”

Pepín is already banned from leaving Uruguay pending a ruling on his request for political asylum and his arrest will not be carried out because he poses no flight risk, having already appeared before the Uruguayan judge when he was summoned.

A red alert means that the suspect must be provisionally held “pending extradition, surrender or similar judicial action”, but the prosecution understands that the request of the International Organization of Criminal Police (Interpol) does not affect what was resolved by the judge of Organized Crime Adriana Chasmarián.

Last week, Judge Chamsarián ruled that Rodríguez Simón must establish a domicile in the country and hand over his passport. She also ordered all proceedings to be halted until the political asylum case is decided upon.

The Uruguayan seven-member body which advises the government on political asylum cases has 90 days to deliver a verdict.

Also read: Former Macrist advisor seeks political asylum in Uruguay

Buenos Aires federal Judge María Romilda Servini has issued a warrant for Pepín's arrest in a case filed by De Sousa against Macri, “Pepín” and other members of that government for what he understands as an “illicit association” to deprive them of their companies, an allegation which appears to be backed by telephone conversations the court has had access to. “Rodríguez Simón recently gave more than enough public evidence of his intention to withdraw from justice, which I reiterate was ratified by his defence attorney on May 18, 2021,” Servini wrote.

In a TV interview from Uruguay, “Pepín” accused López and Judge Servini of, with the support of the Argentine government, mounting a “judicial persecution” to put him in prison and even mentioned that President Alberto Fernández, before taking office, “was on the payroll” of Cristóbal López's business group.