MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina's top prosecutor resigns, under pressure of corruption charges
Alejandra Gils Carbo (R), whose resignation will take effect on Dec. 31, was appointed chief prosecutor during populist Fernandez’s second term Argentina’s top prosecutor quit on Monday under pressure from the government over accusations that she hampered corruption investigations into officials from the previous administration of President Cristina Fernandez.
Alejandra Gils Carbo, whose resignation will take effect on Dec. 31, was appointed chief prosecutor during populist Fernandez’s second term and stayed in the post under business-oriented President Mauricio Macri.
Macri, in office since late 2015, accused Gils Carbo of failing to bring corruption charges against members of Cristina Fernandez’s cabinet. Gils Carbo is herself the focus of a corruption investigation cantering on her tenure as lead prosecutor. She has denied corruption allegations.
At a press conference in July, Macri described Gils Carbo as a “political activist” who misused her power as attorney general. After repeatedly calling for her resignation, Macri’s government began a campaign for reforms that would allow for Gils Carbo’s firing, which ultimately prompted her to step down.
In her resignation letter, Gils Carbo told Macri she was concerned that his actions would end up hurting state institutions by “significantly affecting the autonomy of the public prosecutor’s office.”
Gils Carbo resigned one week after a powerful minister from the Fernandez era was arrested following a vote in Congress that stripped him of his parliamentary immunity in two corruption cases. The former minister, Julio De Vido, is the most powerful official from the Fernandez administration to be jailed.
Argentine Cabinet Chief Marcos Peña told journalists that the resignation on Monday of chief prosecutor Alejandra Gils Carbo, was a step towards making the judiciary more independent.
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Read all commentsThat's right.... “ultra-K activism” is murdering inconvenient prosecutors and then massively contaminating the crime scene.
Oct 31st, 2017 - 02:26 pm +3Oops, I upvoted Brit-K comment in error and clearly you live in an alternative universe - a common ailment with all things K.
Oct 31st, 2017 - 11:29 am +2CFK did more to politicise the legal system than any Arg president has ever done and having an ultra K activist as attorney general was anathema to the current administration.
I shouldn't think Macri is now the slightest bit worried about 2019. She may have the immunity she so desperately craved, but she will eventually end up in the same position as De Vido and quite correctly so.
BK: “Btw if Milagro Sala's indictment is still pending why's she bee in jail for over a year already?”
Nov 05th, 2017 - 11:09 am +2Because she was guilty, convicted, sentenced to three years in prison, and the conviction was upheld.
Prison terms of three years or less are always suspended in Argentina, no? Sala is in jail because they claim she's a flight risk, that's why the UN, IACHR, Amnesty International etc are up in arms about it.
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