'I had absolute certainty of the bribes,' 'Chacho' Alvarez

Former vice-president Carlos “Chacho"  Alvarez assured today that he gathered several elements that have him absolute certainty on the payment of bribes to senators to pass the labour reform bill in April 2000.

As he testified as a witness in the trial, Alvarez said that one of those elements was based on the suspicions that then senator Antonio Cafiero confided to him over payment of briberies.

“Cafiero felt like a fool, because out of good faith and party discipline he voted for a law which had been paid for,” Alvarez said.

Former president Fernando de la Rúa, Alvarez’s running mate, former Labour Minister Alberto Flamarique and former Parliement Secretary Mario Pontaquarto are standing trial over the alleged bribery to Senators to pass a controversial labour reform which cut out benefits for workers in April 2000 and which was ordered by the International Monetary Fund.

De la Rúa vigorously denied that he ordered they payment of briberies,