Former Techint director confirms payments to Baratta in 'Cuadernos' case
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Former Techint administrative director Héctor Zabaleta testified in a Buenos Aires court that he delivered approximately US$1 million in cash to Roberto Baratta, a former official under the administration of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, during 2008. Zabaleta confirmed that he made six payments on the instructions of then-Techint director Luis Betnaza, allegedly under threat that failure to pay would result in a gas supply cutoff to a company plant. Betnaza stated these payments were intended to cover the costs of repatriating Argentine workers during the 2008 nationalization of Techint’s Sidor steel plant in Venezuela. This testimony serves as a development in the ongoing 'Cuadernos' corruption case, which investigates allegations that businessmen paid millions of dollars in bribes to Kirchner-era officials to secure infrastructure contracts.
Consequences
The confirmation of these payments and the specific linkage to the Kirchner administration adds evidentiary weight to the ongoing 'Cuadernos' trial. This testimony directly impacts the legal standing of the various former officials and business figures currently facing trial for their alleged roles in the reported graft scheme.
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