Former Argentinian president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is the subject of a court investigation into large-scale international money laundering.



Fernández has not been formally charged with any wrongdoing, but federal prosecutor Guillermo Marijuán on Saturday “imputed” her. In Argentina’s legal system, that means the prosecutor feels there is enough evidence to warrant a full-scale investigation that could result in charges.



The prosecutor moved against the still-popular former president after hearing 12 hours of testimony by Leonardo Fariña, an imprisoned former associate of businessman and alleged Fernández frontman Lázaro Báez.

In a plea bargain, Fariña implicated Fernández and her late husband and former president Nestor Kirchner in a case related to money laundering and embezzling funds earmarked for public works. Baez was arrested last week.

According to press reports, Fariña testified to the movement out of Argentina by Fariña and Báez of tens and possibly hundreds of millions of dollars, money that was transferred through offshore companies in Panama, Belize and the Seyschelles to a Swiss bank.

Fernández, 63, is due to answer questions in court on Wednesday over a separate probe into the sale of US dollar futures contracts at below-market rates by the central bank during her administration.

The leftist leader, from the Peronist party, was barred constitutionally from seeking a third consecutive term. Opposition candidate Mauricio Macri won the November election, ending more than a decade of Peronist rule.