Русская версияGerman media reported in recent days, based on court documents,
that Menem allegedly received a direct payment from Siemens of $16
million (10.9 million euros).
The firm reportedly expected to pay
$100 million in bribes to Argentine officials including Menem and
the then ministers of finance and interior.
Siemens' Argentine headquarters, located near the historic Plaza de
Mayo in central Buenos Aires, were searched in an effort to secure
evidence on an order from Judge Ariel Lijo.
Former Siemens officials claimed -- in the context of a broader
investigation against the German multinational firm -- that the
company paid bribes in Argentina. German courts forwarded the
information to authorities in Buenos Aires.
Siemens in the 1990s was seeking a $1.26-billion contract to
digitalize Argentine identity documents and other services, the
daily
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
reported. The contract was signed under Menem in 1998 but
cancelled in 2001 by his successor, President Fernando de la Rua.
Later, Siemens allegedly paid further bribes until 2004 -- under
former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, husband of current
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner -- in an effort to have
the contract restored.
(Deutsche Welle)
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