Diego Amarante requested that the file regarding the property attributed to the treasurer of the AFA be transferred to his court, considering that it is linked to the investigation for alleged tax evasion and contributions from the institution
While everyone is distracted by the World Cup, the issues surrounding the Argentine Football Association (AFA) continue to add new developments. The judge in Economic Criminal matters Diego Amarante requested this Thursday that the investigation into the luxurious mansion in Pilar attributed to the disreputable Pablo Toviggino be placed under the jurisdiction of his court, where he is already handling the case in which he prosecuted the institution's treasurer and its corrupt president, Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, for the alleged improper withholding of taxes and social security contributions exceeding $19.3 billion.
The magistrate stated that both cases have a connection that justifies their joint processing. "In this scenario, the concentration of the cases before this Court presents itself as the most appropriate solution to optimize the available factual and technical resources, avoid unnecessary duplication of common evidentiary measures, and effectively safeguard the right to defense in trial of the individuals under investigation", he argued.
The case for alleged tax evasion and that of the mansion in Pilar could be consolidated
Currently, the case regarding the property located in Villa Rosa, Pilar district, is in the court of magistrate Verónica Straccia. Although Amarante formally requested that the case file be sent to him, the judge can reject the request, which would require the Chamber of Economic Criminal Matters to resolve the conflict of jurisdiction. Additionally, the parties involved may also present objections.
The investigation into the mansion aims to determine the source of the funds used to acquire the property, valued at around 20 million dollars. The property, spanning about five hectares and equipped with a helipad, stables, equestrian tracks, and 54 luxury vehicles, is registered under the name of the company Real Central S.R.L., whose owners are Luciano Nicolás Pantano and his mother, Ana Conte.
According to the hypothesis of the case, neither of the two would have sufficient economic capacity to justify the purchase of the property and would have acted as alleged front men for Toviggino. Among the elements included in the case file are documents related to the official, a corporate AFA card in Pantano's name with which expenses for the vehicles found on the premises were allegedly covered, and other items related to the entity's treasurer.
The mansion of Pilar attributed to Pablo Toviggino
Amarante believes that there are points of contact between this investigation and the one already underway regarding the AFA, which also examines the management of the organization's funds. In that case file, in addition to the alleged improper withholding of taxes and social security contributions, the possible use of false invoices to justify non-existent expenses is being investigated.
In justifying the request for the accumulation of the cases, the judge noted that the investigation into the alleged tax evasion shows a greater degree of progress, with intense evidentiary activity and procedural resolutions already issued, while the case regarding the mansion is still in an initial stage.
