A federal judge in San Isidro has ordered former La Libertad Avanza deputy José Luis Espert to stand trial for alleged money laundering and illicit enrichment, the Buenos Aires Times reports. Judge Lino Mirabelli also froze a billion pesos of his assets and barred him from leaving Argentina. His accountant, Mariano Cosentino, will also be tried.
The case centres on a reported US$200,000 payment Espert received in 2020 from businessman Federico Machado, who is held in the United States on money-laundering and drug-trafficking charges. Espert says it was a legitimate, notarised consultancy fee paid openly into his own account.
The ruling follows an appeals court's rejection of his bids to halt the investigation. The allegations forced Espert to give up his place as the ruling party's lead candidate for Buenos Aires province in 2025.
Source: Buenos Aires Times
