Lawmaker: Nisman believed he would be fired

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A prosecutor whose mysterious death has rocked Argentina’s government confided to an opposition congresswoman that he believed his case against President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was going to cost him his position, the lawmaker said Friday.

Alberto Nisman was found shot dead in his bathroom on January 18. The discovery came shortly before he was to appear in Congress to detail his allegations that Fernandez helped Iran cover up the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center, which killed 85. Fernandez and Iran deny the accusations.

Nisman was found in his apartment with a gunshot wound to the head on the eve of a Congressional hearing at which he was expected to accuse the president of shielding Iranian officials from prosecution over the bombing.

Congresswoman Laura Alonso said Nisman spoke to her privately on January 14. She said he feared for his safety and for his daughters, confirming what several other friends and colleagues of Nisman have said.

Alonso said that three days before Nisman died, he had sent her a text message saying, “I’m going with everything,” a reference to the case he was going to present to lawmakers.

She said Nisman told her: “The government knows that I’m bringing this investigation forward.”

Alonso said that even though Nisman felt threatened, he was committed to his investigation and rejected the possibility that he killed himself.

Investigators initially said it appeared Nisman committed suicide, then later said they also were investigating the possibility of a homicide.

Alonso said in another text message sent on January 6, Nisman wrote from London to say he was cutting short a vacation to return to Argentina. Several days later, he publicly accused Fernandez of the cover up, speaking to several media outlets.

Investigators, however, have rejected the idea that Nisman altered travel plans, noting he returned on January 12 in keeping with his original plane ticket.

A second congresswoman, Elisa Carrio, accused Kirchner, attorney general Alejandra Gils Carbo, army chief Cesar Milani and other officials of obstructing the investigation into the death of the prosecutor.

“The president puts forth her claims about the murder of a prosecutor without filing a formal complaint in accordance with the constitution,” Carrio wrote in a document filed with prosecutor Viviana Fein, who is leading the investigation into her late colleague’s death.

Conspiracy theories swirl around Nisman’s death and the 1994 bombing, which has never been solved. Over the last few weeks, thousands of Argentines have taken to the streets for protests and vigils demanding justice.

AFP contributed to this report.