Argentina bribes trial: More than 100 witnesses have testified, but defendants have not shaken the case’s two pillars

The “Notebooks of the Bribes” trial has moved through testimony faster than many expected, with more than 100 witnesses appearing in less than a year. Around 500 may still be called, although that figure could shrink if the recent trend of abandoning witnesses continues.

One of the more than 60 defense teams involved in the case believes the trial will not last for years after all. “What was going to last for years will not last that long in the end. It is moving much faster than expected,” the defense lawyer said.

“

What was going to last for years will not last that long in the end. It is moving much faster than expected.

So far, however, the proceedings have not produced a major surprise capable of overturning the prosecution's theory. The case against Cristina Kirchner, accused of leading an alleged organization that exchanged bribes for public-works contracts, continues to rest on two central elements: Oscar Centeno's notebooks, which prosecutors say record the workings of an alleged collection system, and statements from cooperating witnesses, including senior former officials and business executives.

“

criminalize

The defenses have tried to weaken those foundations through motions that had largely been argued before the trial and were rejected again by the court, as well as through lengthy and aggressive questioning. Diego Cabot, the La Nación journalist who led the investigation, testified for 13 hours. Jorge Bacigalupo, the police officer who handed the notebooks to the journalist, testified over two eight-hour sessions. Both faced questions from nearly every defense as they described the case's origins.

The court also stopped the defense from forcing Cabot to reveal one of his sources. Prosecutor Fabiana León accused the defenses at different points of trying to “criminalize” witnesses and “victimize” the defendants. She also criticized what she called an attempt to audit the investigation and conduct a “trial within the trial” by repeatedly seeking new evidence during the hearings. More than 80 defendants remain under prosecution, with Argentina's Financial Information Unit participating as a private complainant.

“

victimize

In her statement, the former president mounted a political defense, dismissed the proceedings as a “circus” and “political persecution,” and declined to answer questions. She did answer the formal questions from the tribunal's president, Enrique Méndez Signori, including her name, profession and criminal record.

“

trial within the trial