Argentine Prez: 'The Suicide Was Not a Suicide'

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez dropped a bombshell on the mysterious death of Alberto Nisman today, telling state media that suspicions "have been converted into certainty. The suicide (I'm convinced) was not a suicide." That's in direct contrast to her statement Monday, which said she believed the special prosecutor committed suicide, notes the AP. Her comments come after the release of Nisman's 289-page criminal complaint that accuses her administration of the cover-up he was to describe the day after he was found dead. Intercepted phone calls show Argentina offered to protect Iranian officials from charges linked to a 1994 bombing in exchange for oil, the complaint states, per the New York Times. Negotiations between the two countries allegedly began in Syria in 2011 when Argentina's foreign minister indicated it would be better to improve trade with Iran than pursue an investigation.

Afterward, intelligence agents were tasked with "constructing a false hypothesis, based on invented evidence, to incriminate new authors," according to the complaint. Talks mentioned blaming the bombing on right-wing groups and swapping oil for Argentine grains and weapons, the complaint states, though a deal never came to fruition as Argentina couldn't convince Interpol to lift arrest warrants. But trade between Argentina and Iran "improved significantly" after 2010, an expert says, per the Times. A rep for Fernandez says the complaint is "absolutely feeble." Meanwhile, more questions in Nisman's death: A locksmith discovered a "barely closed" service door to his apartment, while investigators say a fresh fingerprint and footprint were found in a third entrance connected to another apartment, the AP reports. A prosecutor adds that Nisman's hand showed no gunpowder residue, though that's perhaps due to the small caliber of the gun used. (More Argentina stories.)