Special Investigatory Committee settles regulations for illegal wiretapping case investigation

The Buenos Aires City Legislature Special Investigatory Committee (CIE) agreed on the regulations that will rule its work, which is focused in the illegal wiretapping case investigation surrounding Mayor Mauricio Macri and several PRO officials.

Lawmakers met for the third time in fifteen days and settled the grounds on which it is to work and also a list of witnesses that will eventually be questioned.

They established that they will question those officials involved, such as Macri or those who were linked with the Security area, who will count with all the guarantees, even the permission to refuse to attend to the Legislature.

The CIE will have the obligation to brief one or more reports or recommendations, which might include the impeachment, and none of the 17 legislators can abstain to write the reports.

Lawmakers have until December 1 to gather proves and they will have time until December 15 to present the ruling to the Executive, Judicial branches and to the head of the Legislature.

During the 4-hour meeting, the members of the Unión PRO bloc tried to add some proposals to the regulations, but they did not count with the support of the rest of the members of the committee. The lack of agreement led the PRO members to leave the session before the encounter ended.

This session which began today came after authorities and members were chosen, and Martín Hourest (Igualdad Social) was elected the head of the body. Hourest and Vice-president Martín Ocampo (PRO) talked on the matter, exchanged different regulation-proposals, and pledged to examine them.

The 17-member Committee will be in the spotlight for having the responsibility of dismantling the case. President Hourest even suggested SIDE intelligence agency officials may be summoned over for questioning.

Information on who financed the works of Jorge Fino Palacios and Ciro James will also be one of the core items the Committee is to investigate.