The Federal Court of Campana, presided over by Judge Adrián González Charvay, decided to elevate to oral trial the case FSM 23688/2024 in which former Transport Minister Axel Kicillof, Jorge Alberto D’Onofrio, and Facundo Asensio, former director of Inspection and Control of Vehicle Technical Verification (VTV), are investigated for the alleged crime of aggravated money laundering.
The decision was made after the Public Prosecutor's Office considered that, at this stage of the process, the hypothesis that both defendants would have acquired a high-end vehicle, an Audi Q8, through the use of funds that would have originated from crimes against provincial public administration was substantiated.
According to the investigation, on October 19, 2023, Asensio registered the car in his name at a precinct in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires for a declared value of $30,000,000. However, the insurance contracted for the vehicle set a coverage of $173,800,000, an amount that, according to the court, would reflect the real market value of the vehicle.
Jorge Alberto D'Onofrio and Axel Kicillof
The judicial file states that, despite the formal ownership of the car being in Asensio's name, the effective use, ownership, and disposition of the asset belonged to the former Kirchnerist official D’Onofrio.
Among the elements considered is the issuance of a blue card that authorized the former minister to drive the vehicle from the date of acquisition, as well as the registration and payment of the Telepase system in his name.
The case also details that, in March of this year, D’Onofrio was processed and seized for a total of $350,000,000, while Asensio received the same measure for $300,000,000.
To justify the origin of the funds used in the purchase, Asensio presented a loan agreement signed on October 12, 2023, with the company Los Altos de Don Carlos Emprendimiento Inmobiliario S.A., made up of his parents. The agreement established the repayment of the $30,000,000 before December 31 of that same year. The defense argued that this money came from the sale of a property made by the company in July 2023.
Jorge Alberto D'Onofrio and Axel Kicillof
However, the judicial instruction links the funds used in the operation with other ongoing investigations in the Judicial Department of La Plata, where alleged fraud crimes, organized crime, and illicit enrichment involving D’Onofrio are being analyzed.
Among the facts under analysis is an alleged irregular maneuver linked to the photo ticketing system and the operation of the VTV.
The merit order issued on November 20, 2025, by Judge Charvay classified both defendants as co-authors of the crime of money laundering of illegal origin, aggravated in the case of the former minister due to his status as a public official.
The defenses of the accused had requested the dismissal and rejection of the prosecutor's request to elevate to trial. In D’Onofrio's case, it was argued that the existence of a preceding crime was not proven, and it was noted that one of the cases in provincial court had been archived due to lack of evidence.
For his part, Asensio questioned the accusation, stating that it was based solely on his status as the registered owner of the vehicle and denied having knowledge of the alleged illicit origin of the funds.
However, the court rejected both arguments considering that the instruction was complete regarding the investigated facts and decided to proceed with the elevation to oral trial, a stage in which the criminal responsibility of the accused will be determined.
