ARGENTINA: All Scandals Lead to Yabran

By Marcela Valente Reprint | | Print |

Marcela Valente

BUENOS AIRES, Mar 20 1997 (IPS) - Practically nothing politically or economically important happens in Argentina without Alfredo Yabran’s finger being in the pie, and former Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo now blames him for forcing his resignation.

The murder of a journalist in January, the attack on a Jewish centre in 1994, the planned privatisation of the postal system and airports, the bid for making identity documents, passports and polling cards plus the frontier controls, all lead back to Yabran.

Despite an almost pathological dislike of public appearances, the businessman sprang to fame in 1995, when then Economy Minister Cavallo accused him of tax evasion before Parliament, of trying to monopolise the postal service, of using frontmen to intervene in other businesses, and, most controversially, of “leading a mafia.”

According to a survey published this week by the business magazine “Imagen,” 93.3 percent of those interviewed believe “there are mafias in Argentina” and one in three think Yabran is at the head of this illegal organisation.

The entrepreneur stated he was more of a “successful” than powerful man. He denied owning all the companies attributed to him, and admitted having connections with high-ranking government officials, just like other businesspeople.

This week, Cavallo accused the government of being “associated” with Yabran in a plan to clean up the public opinion of him in the newspapers.

But in a current affairs programme on television Wednesday, the former minister took his accusations one step further.

This official, responsible for stabilising the Argentine economy, said “if I hadn’t interfered with Yabran, I would still be Economy Minister” adding that his successor, Roque Fernandez, “is scared, because if he takes the stance he should do as minister,” he could “end up like me.”

Cavallo was ousted from his post by President Carlos Menem in mid-1996, a year after starting his campaign against Yabran which he described as “mafias encrusted in the ranks of the powerful.”

Yabran is a telepostal magnate, but according to various officials, members of his family are also on the directing boards of other companies linked to the airports.

Fiscal warehouses, tax-free stores and the in-airport luggage moving ramps are all under his influence.

Congress must decide on the privatisations of the airports – desperately in need of investments – this year, and the discussions are mainly centred on how they will work once privatised.

The Menem government introduced a clause in the contracts of Yabran’s companies which demand the future airport operators maintain his contracts until 2009, on pains of a 500 million dollar fine.

The political opposition in Congress said this is not the only issue where Yabran’s made to measure norms exist. The Parliament must decide on the privatisation of the postal service, where Yabran is competing with the State company.

The legislators consider the Executive Power’s initiative is “a made to measure suit for Yabran.” Menem has an decree ready to sign convoking an urgent bid for a 30 year concession on the telepostal service.

The opposition legislators also believe the delays in reading the offers on the contract for passports, identity documents, polling cards and frontier controls, is also related to Yabran.

The deputies claim that Yabran has two companies involved in this 600 million dollar business. The contract also allows him to control firearms permits, car licenses, the printing of cheques and bills.

Yabran is not exactly politically impotent either. People working for his company have been identified as potential suspects in the murder of the photo-journalist, Jose Luis Cabezas, in January.

Cabezas had published a photograph of Yabran when his face was still unknown by the public.

At the time, the businessman had warned Cabezas’s employers, “Noticias” magazine, that taking a photograph of him was like shooting themselves in the head.

Yabran was in the Pinamar beach resort, 400 km from Buenos Aires, when Cabezas’s body was found in his burnt out car with a bullet in his temple.

To date, the courts have been unable to clarify the cause of the crime.

Cavallo also suggested Yabran should be investigated in connection with the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association three years ago.