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Witness Points to Chavez In Argentina Election Case
Washington Post
July 07, 2008

Witness Points to Chavez In Argentina Election Case

MIAMI -- A U.S. government witness in the case of a seized suitcase holding $800,000 has told FBI investigators that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was personally involved in the affair, according to a U.S. court filing.

The filing, dated June 27, came from a lawyer for a defendant in the case. Edward Shohat represents Franklin Duran, a former associate of Carlos Kauffmann, the government witness. Kauffmann pleaded guilty in March to federal charges and agreed to testify against Duran in exchange for lighter punishment.

Based on what Kauffman told FBI agents, Shohat said in the filing, "Kauffmann can be expected to testify . . . that co-defendant Moises Maionica told him and others that President Chavez . . . had put [intelligence service chief Henry] Rangel Silva in charge, and that Rangel told him that President Chavez personally was involved in the matter," Duran's lawyer said in the court filing.
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Maionica has also pleaded guilty to federal charges in the case.

U.S. prosecutors have alleged that Chavez's government sent the $800,000 to Argentina for the election campaign of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who won Argentina's presidential election in October. Fernandez de Kirchner has called the accusations "garbage."