Ex-Techint Executive Admits to Paying Nearly $1 Million to Key Figure in Bribe Trial

Héctor Zabaleta, a former executive at the engineering and construction giant Techint, testified Tuesday in the ongoing "cuadernos de las coimas" (notebooks of bribes) corruption trial. He admitted to making six cash payments in pesos to Roberto Baratta, a close associate of former minister Julio De Vido, which collectively amounted to the equivalent of nearly $1 million USD.

“

Yes, it's true.

Zabaleta confirmed to prosecutor Fabiana León that the transactions involved money. He stated that each delivery was in the range of 600,000 to 700,000 pesos, and that the total instruction from another executive, Luis Betnaza, was for the sum to be close to $1 million. Zabaleta affirmed that he followed Betnaza's instructions, which he understood to be logical.

“

They were of money.

The situation for Zabaleta and Betnaza is unique, as they had previously been processed in the case. However, their legal proceedings were separated due to the court's determination that the payments were made under emergency circumstances, distinct from bribes related to public works. Techint emphasizes that these were "improper payments," not "bribes."

“

Each delivery was in the order of 600,000, 700,000 pesos. The total of the deliveries, the instruction that Betnaza had given me, was that it had to be close to one million dollars.

These disbursements occurred during a period of significant conflict for Techint in Venezuela, specifically concerning the expropriation of Sidor by the Hugo Chávez government in 2008. Amid negotiations for the steel company, hostility towards Argentine workers escalated, and their safe return to Argentina was not guaranteed. Argentine justice suggests the payments were intended to secure the intervention of the Argentine government, which had strong ties with Chávez's administration, to facilitate the employees' departure.

“

Luis instructed me to deliver those packages.