High Court Annuls Corruption Indictment Against Former President Alberto Fernandez

The Federal Court of Criminal Cassation annulled the indictment of Alberto Fernández in a state insurance corruption probe citing procedural lack of evidence.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 30, 2026, 8:17 AM EDT

Source: Buenos Aires Times

Procedural Deficiencies and the Lack of Merit

The ruling issued by Chamber IV of the Federal Cassation Court centered on the fact that the previous indictment was upheld despite a prosecutor’s earlier request to dismiss the case due to a lack of merit. Judges Mariano Borinsky and Javier Carbajo, forming the majority, noted that the evidentiary basis was inadequate to proceed with formal criminal charges at this stage. Consequently, the court has ordered the lower appeals chamber to issue a new ruling and has lifted several restrictive measures previously imposed on Fernández, including a travel ban and an asset freeze totaling 14.6 billion pesos.

Investigation into State Insurance Procurement Schemes

The core of the "Insurance Case" involves allegations that the Fernández administration steered lucrative state contracts toward specific private intermediaries rather than using direct contracting methods. Investigators focused on policies taken out with Nación Seguros SA, the insurance branch of the state owned Banco Nación. According to prosecutors, these contracts generated approximately 3.36 billion pesos in commissions for brokers. A key figure in the probe is Héctor Martínez Sosa, a personal friend of the former president, who reportedly accounted for nearly 60 percent of those specific commissions.

Broad Legal Challenges and Overlapping Allegations

Despite this procedural victory in the insurance probe, Fernández continues to face a complex web of legal difficulties. The 67 year old veteran Peronist is currently awaiting trial on separate charges of domestic abuse and gender based violence involving his former partner, Fabiola Yáñez. Ironically, the corruption allegations originally emerged when investigators examined the mobile phone of Fernández’s former private secretary, María Cantero, during the initial assault inquiry. Fernández has consistently denied the allegations of violence and financial misconduct, maintaining his innocence across both cases.