(MENAFN) On Tuesday, Argentina's vice president in office, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, was convicted guilty of corruption and given a six-year jail term as well as a lifetime ban from holding public office. Nevertheless, thanks to immunity, she is going to continue to be free until the conclusion of her tenure in office.
Over 100 witnesses testified throughout the three and a half years of litigation before the federal court in Buenos Aires, which resulted in the verdict. During her president from 2007 to 2015, Kirchner, 69, was charged with accepting payments and engaging in " illicit association" with a construction mogul. Authorities had asked for a 12-year sentence.
Since December 2019, Kirchner has served as vice president and head of the Argentine senate. A two-thirds majority in the chamber would be required to remove Kirchner's immunity. She also has the choice to ask the Supreme Court to review the decision.
The decision on Tuesday marks the first instance in Argentina of a vice president receiving a sentence for misconduct while in office. Amado Boudou, Kirchner's vice president at the time, along with Presidents Carlos Menem and Fernando de la Rua, had all been found guilty after leaving office.
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