Calls for judge to resign after apartments used as brothels

An Argentinean Supreme Court judge, who is close to the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, has found himself in the middle of a brewing political scandal after an NGO revealed last week that he owns at least six apartments in Buenos Aires that are rented out as brothels.

Justice Raúl Zaffaroni, 71, one of the best-known judges in the country and a member of the top court's bench since 2003, has denied knowing that his properties rented out by a real estate company were being used as venues for prostitution.

The scandal broke last month when the Buenos Aires daily Perfil reported that two apartments owned by the judge and located in the center of the capital were actually brothels. Later, the NGO La Alameda, which fights prostitution, found through a subsequent investigation that four other properties owned by Zaffaroni were also being used in Buenos Aires' flourishing sex industry.

The NGO filed an immediate complaint for mistreatment of women.

Opposition politicians, such as Ricardo Alfonsín, of the Radical Civic Union (UCR) and a possible contender in this year's presidential elections, are demanding that Zaffaroni step down. Former President Eduardo Duhalde, who also wants to run in the October 23 race on behalf of his Popular Union (UP) party, has said that the justice should offer a full explanation to Congress.

For his part, Zaffaroni, who has refused to resign, claims that he is the victim of a media smear campaign - "I must have stepped on someone's toes" - and admitted on Friday that he holds a secret Swiss account with $70,000 deposited from the prize he won in 2009 from the Swedish Academy of Criminology.

Planned exposé

He explained that he was making the account public because certain journalists had planned to disclose that he was allegedly diverting money out of the country. "I want to put a stop to all this," he said, as quoted by the daily La Nación. "I will be the one who will take all the documentation to Congress. So if anyone finds that Swiss account, they can put mustard on it and eat it."

Zaffaroni added that he intends to bring the money back to Argentina and split it between the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo foundation and another non-profit entity. The judge said he has also given instructions to the real estate company to kick out any tenants who are engaging in prostitution.

Jorge Fontevecchia, editor of Perfil and one of Argentina's most respected journalists, said in a column that he bore no animosity toward Zaffaroni. On the contrary, Fontevecchia said he has always considered him a good judge. But "journalism isn't a profession for cultivating friendships," he wrote.

The Supreme Court, which is made up of six justices who are also known as ministers, is considered one of the most respected institutions and independent bodies in the nation.

"Precisely because the Supreme Court is a prestigious institution is the reason why we believe that minister Zaffaroni, while he has not committed a crime, should resign before doing more harm to justice," said Alfonsín, who added that he finds it hard to believe that Zaffaroni did not know who his tenants were.