Judge Gastón Salmain faces impeachment trial in Argentina

The National Jury of Impeachment of Magistrates has begun the impeachment trial of Gastón Salmain, a suspended federal judge from Rosario. Salmain faces accusations of requesting a bribe to issue a ruling and falsifying his curriculum vitae during his application for a magistracy.

The charges stem from an incident in 2023 where Salmain allegedly sought a bribe to allow a company access to the official exchange rate during currency controls. According to investigations involving a cooperating witness, the requested amount was intended to be 10 percent of the gap between the official and parallel exchange rates, totaling approximately $180,000 to $200,000. Following the government's devaluation, the target amount decreased to roughly $19,000.

Additionally, Salmain is accused of omitting his prior expulsion from the Judiciary due to a corruption-related incident in his CV. The tribunal must decide whether to remove him for misconduct or dismiss the charges. If removed, Salmain will lose his judicial immunity, which could lead to his detention regarding a separate criminal case in which he is currently being processed under preventive detention.