'Bonafini is a liar and needs to clarify many things,' Pablo Schoklender

Pablo Schoklender labelled Madres de Plaza de Mayo head Hebe de Bonafini a "liar" today, saying that “she needs to clarify many things,” regarding the case currently being investigated by Judge Norberto Oyarbide over the diversion of public funds within the organization.

“The person who signs the cheques, the person who keeps talking about the Government is Hebe. After laying me off, the person who is in charge of signing all the cheques is Hebe, she can’t not know what is going on,” the brother of the former financial manager of the organization said today to the press.

The statements were made in reference to the supposed lack of knowledge claimed by the Madres head over all of the accusations regarding how money was handled within the organization, made against both brothers, which include alleged money-laundering and embezzlement of state funds for social housing projects.

Furthermore, he mentioned that his brother Sergio “was the one who formed part of the foundation during a period of twenty years,” underlining the fact that Bonafini couldn’t not know what was going on.

Yesterday, Pablo and Sergio Schoklender were released on bail after paying $40,000 pesos, a figure 100 times smaller than the original amount set by Oyarbide. They had been in custory since May over the accusations made against them.

The same amount was paid by Sergio Schoklender and accountant Alejandro Gotkin after they filed an appeal before a federal court, arguing they did not have the funds to pay the original bail.

According to Schoklender, he became a suspect in the investigation because of “an incorrect report written by the Financial Information Unit (UIF) based on another report made by a bank in Santiago del Estero province.”

“This case is crazy,” said Schoklender during an interview with a radio station, “I can’t understand what Oyarbide is doing, he takes decisions compulsively.”

Pablo Schoklender said his brother and “Hebe travelled around the world together during the 20 years he spent at the Foundation. They met FARC leaders in Colombia, Subcommander Marcos in Mexico apart from going to Europe and the Middle East.”