Felisa Miceli’s trial began

Buenos Aires, October 29, 2012
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Former Economy Minister Felisa Miceli refused today to testify in the public trial that was initiated by the discovery of a bag with 100 thousand pesos and 31,670 dollars in the bathroom in her office.

“I prefer to declare later. My lawyers told me I can answer questions later,” said the former official accused of cover-up and destruction of evidence.

Miceli said: “I am innocent of all this and I hope the rest of the debate was clear on what will happen here.”

THE CASE

The former minister is accused of the crime of concealment of the origin of the money, which provides for a maximum penalty of three years, and destruction of documents original act by which police recorded the finding.

The incident occurred when the sergeant Palo Patricio Rodrigo, Division of Research Department Explosive Brigade, was conducting a routine security inspection earlier in the day in the office of the Minister to the possible presence of an explosive device.

That’s how he found a brown paper bag, into which the money was, the 100 thousand dollars in a container with a heat seal and lot number, the 38,057, indicating provenance Central Bank of Argentina, and landed a minutes of discovery. Four hours later, the minister arrived to her office and required the original record of the finding, which then disappeared but there was a copy that Miceli didn’t notice.

The fact derived in Miceli’s resignation as finance minister, after rehearsing various arguments about the origin of the money but did not have the documentation to justify it.