Prison term for ex-Argentine economy minister

A court in Argentina sentenced former economy minister Felisa Miceli to four years in prison Thursday on corruption charges related to a stash of $64,000 found in her office bathroom in 2007.

Late president Nestor Kirchner chose Miceli, 60, as the first woman ever to lead Argentina's economy ministry in 2005, but she was forced to resign in disgrace less than two years later over the high-profile scandal.

Miceli was "sentenced to four years imprisonment and disqualification from public office for eight years for crimes of concealment aggravated by her status as a public official," judges said in a unanimous decision.

"I will appeal the ruling. I don't understand. There are very serious cases of corruption that don't even go to trial," Miceli told reporters as she left the court in Buenos Aires.

Her prison sentence verdict, which was broadcast live on Argentine television, will not be confirmed until the conclusion of the appeals process.

A bag containing $31,730 and 100,000 Argentine pesos (then $32,200) was discovered in the cupboard of Miceli's office in the economy ministry during a routine search of the premises on June 5, 2007.

Throughout the trial, Miceli insisted she was innocent and that her brother and a friend had loaned her the money, which she intended to use as the down payment for a house.

She dismissed accusations that she had accepted bribes, destroyed documents and given false testimony as a "ruthless" smear campaign.

Political opponents threatened to seek the Supreme Court's intervention if the government failed to file charges.

Miceli said the controversy was trumped up to derail Cristina Kirchner's presidential bid.

"It's a political attack, not against me, but against the government during a political year," she said at the time.

Cristina Kirchner won the October 2007 election and was re-elected president in 2011. Her husband Nestor died in October 2010.