Argentina's 'notebook' scandal: police confirm calligraphic alterations and dictation

On the fifth anniversary of the dissemination of the “notebooks” scandal that shook Argentine politics, two calligraphic analyses ordered by a federal judge confirmed irregularities detected by two previous, privately-commissioned studies - and determined that these alterations, and extensive dictation, had been the work of former police officer Jorge Bacigalupo.

Bacigalupo, 77, is close to Oscar Centeno, 68, a former government chauffeur and erstwhile intelligence agent who claims to have written the eight journals - which purported to chronicle a long-running bribery scheme by Public Works Ministry officials under former Presidents Néstor Kirchner (2003-07) and his wife Cristina Kirchner (2007-15).

The studies, ordered by Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi, were conducted by the Argentine Federal Police's Scopometry Division and the University of Buenos Aires pursuant to a complaint filed by wholesaler Armando Losón, 76 - who was repeatedly cited in the notebooks.

A private study commissioned earlier by Losón and published in April 2022 detected “over 1,600 alterations of the original text: 1,373 overwrites, 195 white-outs, and 55 amendments - among other anomalies.”

A second study published in October showed that much of the text had been “dictated” to Centeno.

No proof - but no doubt

The notebooks scandal emerged on August 1, 2018, when Diego Cabot of the right-wing La Nación published excerpts of the eight notebooks turned over to him by Bacigalupo.

Submitted to Federal Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli - later indicted for his role in a massive espionage and extortion case known as d'Alessiogate - the notebooks allowed Stornelli to promptly issue indictments against 136 public contractors, 14 associates, and 22 Kirchner-era officials.

The news was widely seen as a boost to then-President Mauricio Macri's re-election campaign - which was saddled by severe foreign debt and economic problems known as the “Macrisis.”

The notebooks themselves, however, were never subjected to forensic examination. Cabot admitted to having only “photocopies” of the originals - which Centeno claimed to have “burned.”

The case for which they were originally used - alleging overcharges for liquefied natural gas imports - was dropped after it was shown to be based on fabricated estimates by a court-appointed expert (Daniel Cohen) later convicted of perjury.

They were, however, cited in Cristina Kirchner's conviction last year on bid-rigging charges - which a federal court described in its ruling as “there being no proof of - but no doubt.”

The conviction led Mrs. Kirchner, 70, to opt out of running in this year's presidential election - leaving the ruling, center-left coalition without its most popular, if controversial, figure.

At: https://www-infobae-com.translate.goog/judiciales/2023/07/31/causa-cuadernos-un-peritaje-caligrafico-confirmo-que-el-amigo-de-oscar-centeno-manipulo-los-anotadores/?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Disgraced Argentine Federal Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli (left) parades purported “notebooks” author Oscar Centeno after their bombshell publication on local right-wing media in August 2018.

The notebooks - never subjected to forensic examination - were touted as proof of a long-running bribery scheme by Public Works Ministry officials under former Presidents Néstor Kirchner (2003-07) and his wife Cristina Kirchner (2007-15).

But two private studies and two court-ordered ones have confirmed generalized alterations, third-party dictations and other forms of tampering.

The notebooks have nevertheless been “recycled” as evidence against numerous public contractors and Kirchner-era officials - including Vice President Cristina Kirchner herself.