The Justice of Chubut raided offices linked to former official Gonzalo Carpintero as part of an investigation into an alleged offer of money to a union leader to prevent the start of the school year in the province. This was reported by the Noticias Argentinas news agency on February 12. The Specialized Federal Prosecutor's Office for Crimes Against the Public Administration began the investigation after a complaint filed by the general secretary of the State Workers' Association (ATE) in Trelew, José Severiche. He accused a group of businesspeople and former officials linked to kirchnerism of attempting to bribe him. The intervening prosecutor, Julieta Gamarra, ratified the complaint and collected film footage in a joint effort with the Trelew Police Investigations Division. With the evidence gathered, the Prosecutor's Office requested raids on private homes and at the company where the meeting in which Severiche was allegedly offered a bribe to obstruct the start of classes took place. During the operations, cell phones and security cameras were seized. According to information from the Provincial Public Prosecutor's Ministry, accessed by the Noticias Argentinas agency, the case is in its initial stage and the legal qualification is provisional, subject to changes as the investigation progresses. According to the complaint, Severiche received a call from local businessman Ricardo Traversini, who is being investigated for alleged tax evasion, who told him that his boss, Gonzalo Carpintero, wanted to meet with him. Carpintero held various positions in the provincial Executive, including Director General of Childhood, Adolescence, and Family; Undersecretary of Social Development; Minister of Family and Social Promotion; City Councilor of Trelew; and Vice-Minister Coordinator of the Cabinet. His career concluded with a corruption conviction after it was proven that his assets had increased by over 500% and he had received bribes and bonuses in the 'Embrujo' and 'Revelación' cases. After the phone contact, Severiche went to the office that Carpintero shares with the fishing businessman Raúl 'Tato' Cereseto. 'He added that there would be other actors who would help me generate discord,' declared the unionist. In his complaint, Severiche stated that Carpintero promised him 'economic compensation' and that 'collective bargaining' would then be held to compensate him if he agreed. There, according to the judicial filing, he was asked to 'cause trouble with the union so that classes do not begin in the province's schools on February 23.' 'He clarified to me that I had to generate the conflict before the 23rd, otherwise it would not work,' he added.
