MPs were expected to turn the Criminal Procedural Code bill into law starting a House debate earlier today.
Although lawmakers were scheduled to discus first the creation of a bicameral committee to investigate the existence of non-declared HSBC accounts in Switzerland, parties agreed to start Thursday’s special session with the code deliberation.
The ruling Victory Front (FpV) party managed to secure a committee approval for the formulation of the new code last week with Justice Minister Julio Alak defending the project before a plenary of the Justice, Penal Legislation and Budget and Treasury committees. The Senate had already passed the bill on November 19 in a 39-24 vote.
The government-brokered project aims at changing the current inquisitorial-based system to an adversarial system. Furthermore, on top of its most controversial articles, the bill establishes that deportation is applicable in cases in which foreigners (independently of their migratory status) are apprehended while committing crimes, facing a maximum sentence of three years in jail.
The initiative also sets the creation of 17 new public prosecutor’s offices and 1,713 new posts at both public prosecutor and public defender offices.
Meanwhile, the bicameral committee – that will be in charge of investigating a big tax evasion report recently released by the AFIP tax bureau denouncing more than non-declared 4,000 HSBC accounts in Switzerland -, will be shaped up by five senators and five deputies.
During today’s special session, MPs will be also addressing other 16 projects involving labour, health and education legislation.
buenosairesherald.com