The Federal Chamber of Cassation confirmed on Monday the sentence imposed on former Secretary of Commerce, Guillermo Moreno, for his responsibility in the manipulation of data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC) during his tenure in the Kirchnerist governments. If it becomes law, the confirmed sentence against Moreno would prevent him from running in the upcoming national legislative elections, which he aspired to contest for his party Principles and Values.
The decision of the Federal Chamber of Cassation, composed of judges Angela Ledesma, Guillermo Yacobucci, and Alejandro Slokar (who voted in dissent), also confirmed the sentence against Beatriz Paglieri, who was the director of the Consumer Price Index of INDEC. Paglieri was sentenced to three years of suspended prison and six years of disqualification, being found guilty of the crimes of destruction and incapacitation of public records and abuse of power.
The ruling of Chamber II of Cassation ratified the previous sentence of the Federal Oral Tribunal No. 2, which sentenced Moreno to three years of suspended prison and six years of disqualification from holding public office. Moreno will remain free, and Argentina will have to pay a total of $337 million due to the distortion of INDEC data during the Kirchnerism period, as determined by a court in London.
The debt adjusted for CER related to data manipulation reaches approximately $58 billion, reflecting the total cost of these practices. This initiative, which already has half approval from the Chamber of Deputies and could be addressed in the Senate this Wednesday, seeks to prevent individuals with firm convictions from presenting themselves as candidates for elective positions.
This sentence, being suspended, does not imply immediate detention but does disqualify him from holding positions in the State. The ratification of the disqualification takes on particular relevance in the current political context, especially with the possible approval of the "Clean Record" bill. Guillermo Moreno was accused of having determined the commission of this unlawful act.
In the same case, the Cassation confirmed the acquittals of María Celeste Cámpara Avellaneda and Marcela Filia. The decision of the Federal Chamber of Cassation marks a milestone in the case of data manipulation at INDEC during Guillermo Moreno’s management, establishing legal consequences for those involved in these crimes.
