BUENOS AIRES, 16 Feb. The defense of former Argentine president Carlos Menem (1989-1999) on Wednesday asked his acquittal at trial investigating the alleged smuggling of military hardware to Croatia and Ecuador in the nineties. A prosecutor, however, has requested eight years' imprisonment for the former president accused of arms trafficking.
The application has been filed by Maximiliano Rusconi, Menem's lawyer before the Oral Criminal Court Three to conclude Economic exposure allegations which, once again, tried to prove the innocence of the former president in the controversial scandal. Rusconi has also called for a declaration of invalidity of the accusations made by the prosecutor and the complainant Mariano Borinsky General Customs Directorate (DGA), have sought sentences of up to eight and five years in prison.
The defense has insisted that the case has been the subject of an alleged "political and media manipulation" designed to show Menem as primarily responsible for the diversion of arms to Croatia and Ecuador between 1991 and 1995. Both the prosecution and the DGA have claimed that Menem - Senator since 2005 - signed three decrees that allowed to send weapons to those two countries, despite the official destinations were Venezuela and Panama.
According to the indictment, the Menem government sent tons of rifles, ammunition and guns in Croatia - where he was subjected to an international arms embargo - and Ecuador, which at that time had strong confrontations with Peru by border problems, conflict Argentina was the guarantor of peace, Telam agency reported.
Although the decrees for the prosecution are "sufficient" evidence that the former president authorized this illegal exports, Rusconi has held that "no crime" in these documents. "None of the 400 witnesses who testified at the trial mentioned as author of illicit Menem," he insisted. The criminal case of arms smuggling began in 1995, but it was not until October 16, 2008 the trial began.
In addition to Menem, are also accused her former brother in law, his adviser, a former Air Force chief and several officers of the Directorate General of Military, among other officials. 
The application has been filed by Maximiliano Rusconi, Menem's lawyer before the Oral Criminal Court Three to conclude Economic exposure allegations which, once again, tried to prove the innocence of the former president in the controversial scandal. Rusconi has also called for a declaration of invalidity of the accusations made by the prosecutor and the complainant Mariano Borinsky General Customs Directorate (DGA), have sought sentences of up to eight and five years in prison.
The defense has insisted that the case has been the subject of an alleged "political and media manipulation" designed to show Menem as primarily responsible for the diversion of arms to Croatia and Ecuador between 1991 and 1995. Both the prosecution and the DGA have claimed that Menem - Senator since 2005 - signed three decrees that allowed to send weapons to those two countries, despite the official destinations were Venezuela and Panama.
According to the indictment, the Menem government sent tons of rifles, ammunition and guns in Croatia - where he was subjected to an international arms embargo - and Ecuador, which at that time had strong confrontations with Peru by border problems, conflict Argentina was the guarantor of peace, Telam agency reported.
Although the decrees for the prosecution are "sufficient" evidence that the former president authorized this illegal exports, Rusconi has held that "no crime" in these documents. "None of the 400 witnesses who testified at the trial mentioned as author of illicit Menem," he insisted. The criminal case of arms smuggling began in 1995, but it was not until October 16, 2008 the trial began.
In addition to Menem, are also accused her former brother in law, his adviser, a former Air Force chief and several officers of the Directorate General of Military, among other officials.
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