Cuadernos cause: they sued Roberto Baratta and fired the Techint businessmen

The judge Julien Ercolini treated this Tuesday August 10, the former undersecretary for coordination and control of the Ministry of Planning, Roberto Baratta, Yes businessmen licensed from Techint, including its CEO Paul Rocca, in the context of the investigation of undue payments resulting from the alleged “VSAssociation of Bribes Notebooks “.

Ercolini considered that it was proved that the alleged payments appearing in the books of the ex-driver of the Ministry of Planning existed, Oscar Centeno, even if exempted entrepreneurs of the multinational group from responsibilities.

This last decision is based on the fact that the magistrate ruled that the disbursements they would have been for avoid “serious attacks on the freedom and integrity” of people who at the time were directly linked to the Italian-Argentinian company.

The notebooks complete the Techint corruption route

Revocations dictated by the judge, who subrogates the court in charge of the deceased Claudio Bonadio, benefited Techint CEO Paolo Rocca; to the director of the company Luis Betnaza and the person supposed to deliver the money Hector Zabaleta.

During the judicial investigation, one of the directors of the company Techint argued that the alleged payments were linked to the need for the Kirchner government to carry out formalities before the administration of Hugo Chavez.

“I understand that although the conduct entrusted to Betnaza Yes Zabaleta could have criminal relevance in terms of typical adequacy, I consider that there would have been a cause of justification, which goes through the dictation of dismissal“said Ercolini.

Roberto Baratta’s career: from taxi driver and quinielero to Julio De Vido’s henchman

“His actions would have been like unique and forced motivation to avoid seriously undermining the liberty and integrity of those working in Venezuela in one of the companies of the economic group to which they belonged, ”concluded the magistrate.

He added about Baratta that “the absence of responsibility for the events of businessmen … does not prevent the receipt of money by the official it turns out that this is a behavior that relates directly to the criminal type analyzed“.

The “Cahiers Affair” began in 2018 after the distribution of manuscripts by Oscar Centeno, who noted the trips he made with officials from the Planning Ministry to withdraw bribes from businesses and take them to private offices.

In the case, two years after the start of legal proceedings in the Federal oral court n ° 7, there are 47 defendants. Between them Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Julio De Vido, former Roberto Baratta, José López and about twenty businessmen.

JFG / ED