Mothers' scam embroils Argentinean leader

A former aide to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who is being investigated for allegedly embezzling money from the human rights group, has lodged counter charges against the organization's founders alleging they have channeled some $1.5 million to Argentinean President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's reelection campaign.

Sergio Schoklender, who says he has documents to support his claims, is expected to appear in Congress on Thursday to hand over evidence to opposition lawmakers. Schoklender, who was a former right-hand man to the Mothers' president Hebe de Bonafini, stepped down from his position with the organization earlier this year after allegations surfaced that he had embezzled public and private donations to pay for an upscale home and luxurious cars for himself and his brother.

Schoklender has not been charged with any crime. The money he claims De Bonafini gave the Argentinean president, also went to Economy Minister Amado Boudou and the deputy public works chief, Abel Fatala. Both De Bonafini and the government have denied the charges.

In a separate development, ex-president Carlos Menem was acquitted from alleged role in traffic of arms to Croatia and Ecuador Carlos Menem was declared innocent yesterday by the Number 3 Oral Federal Court, with only vote against him from a Magistrate in a case accusing the former leader of illegal arm exports to Croatia and Ecuador sixteen years ago. The 81-year-old ex-president will keep running for the position as senator in the province of La Rioja, a position that he has occupied since 2005, and which gives him parliamentary immunity under Argentinean law.Menem, who was president from 1989 to 1999, declared that he only signed a decree to export arms to Venezuela and Panama and that it wasn't his fault if they ended up in Croatia (at war in 1995) and Ecuador; a country that was under an international arms embargo because of its conflict with Peru and which didn't have an army at the time. The court also acquitted former Minister of Defense Oscar Camilión, a presidential advisor to Menem and his ex-brother-in-law, as well as the other 17 people involved in the case.