Causa Sur Finance: AFA and several First Division and Lower Division clubs were raided

The case investigating Sur Finanzas for alleged money laundering schemes, a financial company linked to the infamous Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia, had its largest operation since it began this Tuesday. By order of the federal judge of Lomas de Zamora, Luis Armella, between 25 and 35 simultaneous raids were carried out at the headquarters of AFA, at the Ezeiza complex, and at various Primera and lower division clubs. The objective: to obtain accounting documentation that would allow the reconstruction of the company's role in sponsorship contracts and loans to sports institutions.

The procedures were requested by prosecutor Cecilia Incardona, who also requested the lifting of the tax and banking secrecy of the clubs involved. Among the entities visited by the Federal Police are Racing, Independiente, San Lorenzo, Argentinos Juniors, Banfield, Excursionistas, Barracas Central, Deportivo Morón, Platense, Los Andes, Deportivo Armenio, Brown de Adrogué, and Acassuso, among others. In all cases, the aim is to verify the commercial operations with the financial company under investigation.

According to the judicial hypothesis, Sur Finanzas may have granted loans to different institutions and then collected the debts through television rights or marketing contracts. Some jerseys even displayed the company's name as the main sponsor. Investigators suspect that this circuit may have been used to place funds of illicit origin.

Ariel Vallejo, owner of the financial company, is the main person targeted in the case. He appeared last week in court to hand over his cell phone, which will be examined. The prosecution keeps that his company, together with structures such as the Fideicomiso de Reconstrucción Banfileña, Banfileños S.A., and Club Banfield itself, may have acted as a mechanism for introducing illegal money.

The current case is connected to another investigation initiated following a complaint by ARCA, which also targets Sur Finanzas. Incardona requested that both cases be unified due to their connection, a request that must be solved by the Federal Chamber of La Plata.

Meanwhile, the financial company had already been raided at its Adrogué headquarters by order of Judge Sebastián Casanello, in an action related to money managed by defendants in another case. That procedure included the seizure of information related to the company formerly known as Neblockchain, later renamed Sur Finanzas PSP.

The case is progressing with a focus on determining whether the financial network under investigation operated as a means to launder money within the country's most popular sport.