Yesterday’s passing of the tax reform bill in the province of Buenos Aires was overshadowed today by the release of a photo suggesting bribery within the provincial parliament.
Clarín published a photo of La Cámpora leader José Ottavis allegedly discussing the handing out of bribes in the parliament session on tax reform yesterday. The photo showed the screen of Ottavis’s phone displaying a text message in which fellow deputy Rocío Giaccone informed him of $150,000 bribes being offered to opposition members during the debate on the rural land tax bill.
Ottavis denied the suspicions, sharply criticising Clarín and accusing the newspaper of “violating the privacy of a worker,” and reprimanded the “impunity of the paper.”
Ottavis told the radio programme of Victor Hugo Morales that, “there is bad blood, and bad intentions.” He said that the Giaccone “was informed of gossip and instead of celebrating, was worried and told me.”
Cabinet Chief, Juan Manuel Abal Medina spoke of the photo today, declaring to the same radio show, “it means absolutely nothing, it speaks of people who were not there. There is this idea of making a mess, accusing and throwing around of generalities without any sense.”
“It is a very rare thing, but still, it doesn’t look very good in the picture… very strange,” said Abal Medina.
