Former Argentina Rural Society (SRA) heads Enrique Crotto and Raúl Etchebehere have been indicted for alleged “embezzlement of public funds” as part of the investigation of the purchase “at vile price” of the Argentine Rural Society premises in 1991 and the granting of a construction credit for a building that was never built.
Examining Judge Ricardo Farías ordered the indictment and also ruled to seize Crotto and Etchebehere’s assets for five million pesos each.
Farías said that the state sold La Rural historical facility in Buenos Aires City at “vile price” in 1991 and that it was managed by two companies “La Rural de Palermo S.A.” and “Odgen Argentina S.A.” who were granted a 100 million dollar credit by Banco Provincia for a “building complex that was never built up to today.”
Other former SRA authorities were also indicted by the judge: Hugo Pifarré, Victorio Migliaro, Juan María de Anchorena, Rubén Daniel Lusich and Osvaldo Hugo Rial.
If found guilty of embezzlement of public funds, they face up to ten years in prison.
Ex president Carlos Menem and former Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo are also indicted in a parallel probe for La Rural selling in Buenos Aires City Federal Court.
buenosairesherald.com