Complaint filed in Argentine Congress over suspected bribery to pass vulture fund payout bill.
Victory Front (FpV) congressional lawmakers in Argentina filed a criminal complaint against congressmen Nicolás Massot (leader of the right-wing PRO caucus) and Diego Bossio (leader of the splinter, center-left Justicialist caucus) over suspected bribery as part of the ongoing negotiations in Congress over a bill sponsored by President Mauricio Macri that would allow a $6.5 billion settlement payout with four vulture funds and other holdout bondholders.
FpV Congressmen Carlos Kunkel, Juan Manuel Pedrini, and Rodolfo Tailhade took action after pictures of a text message conversation between Massot and Bossio on an instant messaging application were published on Thursday. Both Bossio and Massot have acknowledged that the pictures were genuine; but asserted there was nothing untoward about their conversation.
The exchange was as follows:
Massot: OK. We sealed the deal with STM (Renewal Front caucus leader Sergio Tomás Massa), in terms similar to those we agreed on. We love taking on debt as it's necessary to finance the settlement and, ultimately, public works. Are you coming to the 4th floor?
Bossio: Give me (House Speaker) Emilio Monzó's mobile number. Massot gives him the number. It looks like now they (Massa's Renewal Front) want to come to an arrangement.
Massot: They're easier than you are.
Bossio: Yes.
Massot: They want to make us look good. You want to suck us dry. Don't think we'll let you slide with five sandwiches and three cold teas.
As chair of the PRO caucus in the Lower House, Massot has spearheaded negotiations with other caucuses in order to whip up support for the holdout settlement bill. Bossio was elected to Congress on the Kirchnerist FpV ticket but formed the splinter Justicialist caucus a month ago. Kirchnerist lawmakers believe STM could be a reference to Renewal Front caucus leader Sergio Tomás Massa, without whose support the holdout bill would almost certainly fail.
Massa and Bossio, both Peronists, have criticized the bill but have promised to vote for it on Tuesday. The center-left FpV is very critical of the agreement, which they describe as a capitulation to fraudsters seeking astronomical returns on old bonds and which they warn could lead to $200 billion in new liabilities to other bondholders seeking the same terms.
Massot chalked up the use of the term “sandwiches” — which the FpV took for a term hinting at bribery — as a reference to an actual meal between lawmakers. “The thief thinks that everyone else is also a thief,” Massot fired back at his accusers. Massot's previous phrase, however (vos nos querés secar), is local slang very similar to “you want to suck us dry” and in Argentina is only used in reference to money. It specifically refers to instances in which the one using the phrase has no choice but to pay the other party, and is reproaching that person for demanding too high a price.
At: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/210522/fpv-files-complaint-against-bossio-massot
And: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.notienred.com/politica-mensajitos-bossio.html&prev=search
= new reply since forum marked as read
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Nicolás Massot
Diego Bossio [/center]
What a shame they haven't learned they are where they are because they are supposed to serve the people, not themselves.
This is completely unexpected. I am glad they know there a lot of people watching them both from now on. I hope you'll let us know if you see any more on them, forest444. Thank you.
