Kirchner's pilots detail scanned luggage, ignored greetings in corruption trial

Pilots and crew members who served on the presidential aircraft fleet used by former Argentine presidents Néstor and Cristina Kirchner have described unusual dynamics during their flights. Testifying in the ongoing "Cuadernos de las Coimas" (notebooks of bribes) trial, they detailed flights where only newspapers and "press summaries" were transported, and where suitcases or hand luggage sometimes bypassed security scanners.

One military pilot, Domingo Edgardo Zelaya, expressed his hurt that the Kirchners rarely acknowledged the crew. He recalled a presidential trip to India that lasted over a week, during which "they never greeted us." Zelaya also questioned why his own luggage was scanned while that of certain individuals was not, though he found some reassurance that those carrying the bags also remained in the cabin.

The testimonies, requested by prosecutor Fabiana León, aim to shed light on the prosecution's case, which alleges that Santa Cruz was the final destination for money collected through the scheme being tried by Federal Oral Court No. 7. Cristina Kirchner is accused of leading an illicit association.

Mechanic Gabriel Omar Falaschi described how Daniel Muñoz, the late secretary to the Kirchners and a figure implicated as a money collector, had a special seat assigned to him on the plane. This seat was located next to the presidential couple's cabin, functioning as a small office. Several pilots recounted flights where Muñoz was the sole passenger, carrying a medium-sized suitcase that he refused to check into the cargo hold. Upon arrival, Muñoz would disembark at a remote part of the runway, where he was met by vehicles that entered through a perimeter fence.