Clashing with the intelligence establishment

A powerful ex-spy linked to explosive allegations against Argentine President Cristina Kirchner was accused by the government Tuesday of running a smuggling ring and committing tax fraud.

The former intelligence agent, Antonio Stiuso, has been in the spotlight since the mysterious death last month of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, whose investigation into a 1994 bombing at a Buenos Aires Jewish center had turned its sights on the president.

Kirchner has accused Stiuso of feeding false information to Nisman, who was found with a gunshot to the head on the eve of congressional hearings where the prosecutor was due to accuse the president of protecting Iranian officials implicated in the bombing in exchange for oil.

Argentine government accuses ex-spy of smuggling