BUENOS AIRES, Aug 27 (NNN-XINHUA) — A federal court of Argentina on Monday rejected 51 requests to suspend or throw out charges of corruption against the country’s ex-president and current Senator Cristina Fernandez, and put her on trial, Xinhua news agency reported.
Fernandez and 12 others were accused of illicit enrichment in granting public works contracts.
“Postponing (the trial) delays justice without justification,” the court said in its ruling.
Monday’s hearing was the tenth in a legal process against the former head of state that began on May 21.
Fernandez was not present at the hearing as she had obtained authorisation to travel to Havana, Cuba, where her daughter has been receiving medical care.
The pre-trial inquiry process is set to begin on Sept 2, and is expected to last about a year, due to the amount of evidence submitted by prosecutors and the large number of witnesses.
Fernandez was charged with manipulating the assignment of 46 billion pesos (about US$832 million) in contracts in order to benefit construction firm Grupo Austral, whose owner Lazaro Baez was arrested in 2016.
Several of her former aides were also on trial, notably the former planning minister Julio de Vido.
Fernandez, 66, was widely seen as a main challenger to her successor and incumbent President Mauricio Macri, who is seeking a second term.
–NNN-XINHUA
