New plaintiff seeks judge's removal in YPF case over investigation delays

A new plaintiff in the long-running case concerning the alleged asset stripping of YPF has requested Judge Ariel Lijo's removal from the investigation. The civil association Integridad Republicana, recently accepted as a plaintiff, accuses Lijo of causing significant delays in the case, which has been in the investigative stage since 2006.

Integridad Republicana argues that the judge has "decided not to decide," pointing to his failure to act on evidence requests from the prosecution and the prolonged status of other pending measures. The organization contends that this inaction constitutes grounds for prejudgment and a loss of impartiality.

As an example, the plaintiff cited an extensive expert assessment ordered in 2016 to determine if YPF's resources were overexploited, if there was a scheme to strip its assets, and if the Eskenazi family's acquisition of shares was irregular. Ten years later, this assessment remains incomplete, according to the filing.

Further delays highlighted include a request for information from Spain regarding the bankruptcy of two companies within the Petersen Group, which acquired YPF shares. This request, made in February 2019, has yet to yield a response, despite the plaintiff suggesting the information is easily accessible. The organization also referenced the judge's refusal to request information from Credit Suisse about whether public funds from Santa Cruz were used as collateral for the Petersen Group's acquisition, and the pending incorporation of testimony from the "Cuadernos" case.