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world news Diaranson 24 augustus 2022

Argentine prosecutors request 12-year sentence for VP

(AP) — Prosecutors on signed.”
Monday asked a judge
to sentence Argentine Fernández has characterized
Vice President Cristina the trial as an effort to use the
Fernández to 12 years in courts to stop her from ever
prison and bar her from holding elected office again
holding public office for and her allies have character-
life for allegedly leading ized it as a political prosecu-
a criminal conspiracy that tion.
irregularly awarded pub-
lic works contracts to a The presidential office came
friend and ally. out in support of Fernández,
saying she is the victim of a
“We are faced with the big- “persecution by the courts
gest corruption maneuver and media.”
that this country has ever
known,” prosecutor Di- Current President Alberto
ego Luciani said in his clos- Fernández also expressed
ing arguments in the trial of “solidarity” with his number
Fernández, who was presi- two in a social media post.
dent of Argentina from 2007
and 2015, before becoming Luciani told judges they will
vice president in 2019. have the final say on whether
“corruption or justice” pre-
The alleged fraud against the vails.
state cost the country’s cof- Prosecutors say Báez, a for- cluding Báez and Julio De
fers around $1 billion, Lu- Although Fernández has Fernández, 69, is accused of mer bank employee who Vido, the minister who was
ciani said. faced numerous accusations leading a conspiracy that in- went on to become a public in charge of public works
of corruption for events that volved awarding 51 public works mogul, created the during Fernández’s adminis-
The former president has took place while she was in works contracts for road- company Austral Construc- tration.
vehemently denied charges office, this marks the first works to Lázaro Báez in ciones as a way to win state
against her in the three-year time a trial against the former southern Santa Cruz prov- tenders. A sentence is expected by the
trial and has said the judges president has gotten this far ince. Many of those public end of the year and could be
already have the sentence to include a prosecutor for- works were never finished. An additional 12 people are appealed.
against her “written and even mally requesting a sentence. also indicted in the case, in-

Malaysia ex-PM Najib goes to jail after losing graft appeal

(AP) — Malaysian ex- ernment and bring Najib to perverse or plainly wrong so fairly treated” and that his case and the strengthening of the
Prime Minister Najib justice. as to warrant appellate inter- has been rushed through. He demands for the rule of law
Razak began his 12-year vention. We agree that the pointed out that a leaked ver- in Malaysia.”
prison sentence Tuesday The five-member Federal defense is so inherently in- dict by the Federal Court had
after losing his final ap- Court panel said it found the consistent and incredible that been posted on a website and Earlier Tuesday, Najib sought
peal in a graft case linked High Court’s decision was it does not raise a reasonable said if this was true, it would to remove Maimun from the
to the looting of the correct and that Najib’s ap- doubt on the prosecution be the a “judicial misconduct case, citing possible bias be-
1MDB state fund, with the peal was “devoid of any mer- case,” she said. of the highest order.” cause her husband had made
top court unanimously its.” a negative Facebook post-
upholding his conviction The court ordered Najib, Maimun said the appeal ing about Najib’s leadership
and sentence. “This is a simple and straight- who has been out on bail hearings had ended because shortly after his ouster in
forward case of abuse of pending appeals since his Najib’s newly appointed 2018 general elections. But
Najib, Malaysia’s first former power, criminal breach of sentence in 2020, to begin lawyers refused to make any the judges dismissed Najib’s
leader to be imprisoned, was trust and money laundering,” his time behind bars. He also new arguments in protest of application.
whisked away to Kajang pris- said Chief Justice Maimun must pay a 210 million ring- not being given more time to
on on the outskirts of Kuala Tuan Mat, who read out the git ($47 million) fine. prepare. The Federal Court last week
Lumpur after the verdict. verdict. also dismissed a bid by Najib
Opposition leaders, activists 1MDB was a development Najib appeared in shock af- to seek a retrial on grounds of
and many citizens hailed the “We are unable to conclude fund that Najib set up shortly ter the verdict was read. He bias by the High Court judge,
court’s swift ruling, calling it that any of the findings of after taking power in 2009. was immediately surrounded and refused to postpone the
a victory for Malaysians who the High Court, as affirmed Investigators allege at least by his family and supporters. appeal to give his new law-
voted in 2018 to oust his gov- by the Court of Appeal, were $4.5 billion was stolen from His lawyer later told report- yers more time to prepare.
the fund and laundered by ers they may seek a review of The court also denied a re-
Najib’s associates. Najib was the court’s decision. quest by Najib’s new lawyer
found guilty in 2020 of seven to withdraw from the case.
charges of corruption for il- “This is a historic moment
legally receiving $9.4 million for Malaysia, where the most Maimun, Malaysia’s first fe-
from SRC International, a senior leader has actually male chief justice who was
former unit of 1MDB. now faced an unprecedented appointed in 2019, has come
moment of political account- under attack on social media
Najib, 69, has maintained ability,” said Bridget Welsh, a from Najib’s supporters. Po-
his innocence. Just before Southeast Asian expert at Ma- lice arrested a man over the
the verdict, he stood up in laysia’s Nottingham Univer- weekend in connection with
the dock to make a statement sity. ”For this decision, which death threats made against
protesting the top court’s se- is the first of many cases in- Maimun. Hundreds of Na-
ries of refusals last week to volving this particular scan- jib’s supporters gathered out-
postpone the appeal hearings. dal, to move in this particular side the court in a show of
direction really is a testimony support.
Najib said he felt he was “un- to the rule of law in Malaysia,