Federal Judge Tulio Garcia Moritan has asked the United States government to arrest former Argentine Minister of the Economy Jose Ber Gelbard who is wanted here on charges of embezzlement. Gelbard, who was the only Jew in the Cabinet of former President Isabel Martinez de Peron, now lives in Washington.
Mrs. Peron, who has been under arrest since her government was ousted by the military last March 24, is presently being prosecuted on charges that she used funds from a Peronist Party charity fund for her own use. Judge Garcia Moritan said she told him that Gelbard had assured her that there would be enough money in the fund to be used for any purpose she desired.
The former President told the judge that Gelbard stressed that money would flow into the fund. During the investigation the names were made public of some 100 firms which had contributed to the fund. Representatives of the companies said that the contributions were made either at the suggestion of Gelbard or the members of the General Economic Confederation of which Gelbard was president until May 25, 1973.
Gelbard, who was born in Poland, was stripped of his citizenship after the military coup last March and the court has attached his assets of some $400,000. He left the country last February.
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