Argentina's banking scandal deepens

A congressional committee overseeing Argentina's central bank has widened its investigation into actions of the bank's governor to include its board of directors.

The committee originally met to investigate accusations that the governor, Pedro Pou, had failed to investigate cases of alleged money laundering through Argentina's financial system.

But a committee spokesman Luis Cereni said it would now also investigate the bank's directors.

He said it was possible some of them may have been involved in the affair.

The committee has also decided to investigate all of Mr Pou's actions since he became the bank's governor in 1996. The affair erupted earlier this month when a United States Senate investigation into money-laundering named two Argentinian banks as part of its inquiry.

The Argentine government has so far rejected calls to dismiss Mr Pou, saying there's no evidence to justify his removal.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service