The board of coroners set to play a crucial role in determining whether late special AMIA prosecutor Alberto Nisman committed suicide or was murdered began deliberating yesterday. Their conclusions are scheduled to be announced in five to seven days, according to prosecutor Viviana Fein, who is leading the case into Nisman’s death.
Experts were only able to begin dicussions this week due to several injunctions that Nisman’s ex-wife, San Isidro Federal Judge Sandra Arroyo Salgado, had filed against the board ordered by Fein. But after they were dismissed by two judges, the board of coroners was finally able to begin analyzing the evidence, allowing them to rule on an official conclusion.
The board will rule on several key issues, such as the hour of Nisman’s death and how he died, two central points of disagreement between the official autopsy and that sustained by the independent forensic specialists hired by the plaintiff — that is, Arroyo Salgado.
“We should get a conclusion within five or seven working days,” Fein told reporters before entering the forensic medical headquarters.
The first issue that was discussed yesterday was the original conclusions made over evidence — not a new medical forensic examination.
Roberto Luis María Godoy, Dean of the Forensic Medical Board dependent on the Superme Court, will coordinate the board.
Adriana D’Addario, María Preibisch, Celminia Guzmán, Ana María Perkins, Carlos Navari, Fernando Trezza, Oscar Lossetti, Héctor Di Salvo, Jorge Pereyra and Alfredo García were some of the forensic officials that participated in yesterday’s meeting.
In addition, two professionals from the Federal Police legal medical division, Horacio Sapag and Nora Perosio were also in attendance, along with the plaintiff’s forensic specialists Osvaldo Raffo and Julio Ravioli, as well as defendant Diego Lagomarsino’s forensic expert Mariano Castex.
Fein agreed with the medical board that they would answer 24 questions about the circumstances of Nisman’s death, reviewing photographs, film and other forensic evidence of relevance. The medical board’s answers and dissenting opinions will then be written and presented in one document.
The case
Nisman’s body was found with a bullet to his left temple on January 18 in the bathroom of his 13th floor apartment in the Le Parc apartment house in Puerto Madero. A day later, he was expected to present his formal accusation against President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and several high-ranking government officials for allegedly covering up Iran’s responsibility in the 1994 AMIA terrorist bombing that killed 85 people.
Fein, who has been leading the investigation since then, has ordered several forensic tests and taken testimony from various relatives, associates, colleagues and acquaintances to determine whether his death was a murder or suicide. But she has constantly been opposed by Nisman’s ex-wife, who believes that Nisman was murdered.
Last month, Arroyo Salgado presented a forensic report written by independent forensic specialists she hired that determined that the former special prosecutor was murdered based on forensic evidence gathered up to then. Arroyo Salgado since then has actively tried to remove Fein from the case believing that she is partial to a suicide hypothesis, but her legal actions were dismissed by Judge Fabiana Palmaghini. Asked about whether an international forensic expert would participate in the deliberations, Fein said not for now, but if necessary she would seek one.
Ex-spy sued
Prosecutor Juan Pedro Zoni yesterday requested to initiate a formal investigation against the ex-director of operations of the Intelligence Secretariat (SI, formerly known as SIDE) Antonio “Jaime” Stiuso for allegedly hiding documentation and information related to the AMIA terrorist bombing investigation before he was removed from the agency.
Stiuso is alleged to have helped Nisman build his case against the president. Zoni submitted the investigation request to Federal judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral, judicial sources said yesterday.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald