Former Minister Anibal Fernandez was charged by a Federal Judge in Argentina with fraud against the state.
The judge said that the accused was benefiting from a government program that handed out baby cribs, clothes and medicines to poor families.
Article 258 Criminal Code of Argentine Nation provides, "Any official shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of one (1) to six (6) years and perpetual special disqualification for exercising the function that the public, directly or indirectly, offers or shall bestow on a public official from another State or a public international organization, either on his own behalf or on behalf of third parties, sums of money or any object of monetary value or other compensation, such as gifts, favours, promises, or benefits, in exchange for which the official perform or skip perform an act in relation to the exercise of public functions, or to assert the influence derived from their office, in a matter related to a transaction of Nature economic, financial or commercial."
The said judge also included the former health minister and the provincial governor to the charge.
Moreover, they were also slapped on some of their belongings for about $23 million, as they also abused their power and neglected to carry out their public functions.
Article 173 of the same Code stated that "xxx, shall be considered as special cases of fraud and will suffer the punishment he sets: xxx 9. The who sells or gravare as free goods, whatever they are contentious or embargoed or encumbered; and the who sells, or gravare arrendare as own, property extraneous."
Fernandez and others accused said that the accusations are baseless and are expected to appeal.
Fernandez, a lawyer and a certified public accountant, has been known to be the one of the close allies to both late President Nestor Kirchner and the former Cristina Fernandez. He has also served several cabinet positions, including the administration of former President Eduardo Duhalde.
He was the implementer of the "Victims against Violence" program during his tenure as the Minister of Interior.
When appointed as Minister of Justice, Security and Human Rights, he promoted actions and policies to fight the human trafficking and created the Office for Rescue and Support of the Victims of the Crime of Trafficking.
Just last year, he was accused being the mastermind of the 2008 triple crime.
Whereas, in December 2008, he was sued by the Labour Party for slander, libel, moral damage and impact on the party's image after blaming such party for acts of railroad vandalism.
