ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires Herald
By Luciana Bertoia
Herald Staff
Monsignor Emilio Grasselli is requested to appear in court
An iconic priest linked to repression during the last military dictatorship could be summoned to sit in the dock to give explanations of his role during the 1976-1983 de facto government.
Almost seven years after chaplain Christian Von Wernich was convicted to life for being involved in seven murders and more than 40 abductions, it seems that it will be Monsignor Emilio Teodoro Grasselli’s turn to appear before court.
Federal prosecutor Federico Delgado requested Federal Judge Julián Ercolini to summon Grasselli, who is still a member of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires headed by Mario Poli. The request was filed on September 16. Court sources explained to the Herald that the magistrate has three working days to make a decision. If Ercolini follows the procedural code, Grasselli could be receiving a subpoena this week.
However, times are flexible for judges and Ercolini has been frequently criticized by the Kirchnerite administration for not moving forward with the case of the irregular sale of Papel Prensa newsprint company during the last military dictatorship, which ended up benefiting newspapers La Razón, La Nación and Clarín, the government’s media foe.
“It’s been 30 years since the return to democracy and it is unbelievable that nobody summoned Grasselli as a suspect,” a court source told the Herald.
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