Federal Justice carried out new raids and opened safe deposit boxes in the Sur Finanzas case
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The Federal Justice ordered this Wednesday nine simultaneous raids on offices linked to the company Sur Finanzas and other locations associated with the financial firm's activities. In addition, by order of the federal judge of Lomas de Zamora, Luis Armella, various safety deposit boxes belonging to the company were opened.
The measures were carried out one day after the operations that the Federal Police conducted at 17 Argentine football clubs, as well as the headquarters of the AFA and the Superliga.
The main focus is to gather evidence regarding the activities of the financial firm managed by Ariel Vallejo, who has been identified for his connections with Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia.
The case: money laundering and an expanding scheme
Lavado de dinero: la Justicia profundiza la investigación sobre Sur Finanzas y la AFA
The investigation, led by prosecutor Cecilia Incardona, began due to alleged irregular maneuvers surrounding the transfer of a player from Banfield to a club in Mexico. However, as the investigation progressed, the case expanded to include all sports institutions that have conducted business with Sur Finanzas.
Meanwhile, there is a jurisdictional conflict with Federal Court No. 1 of Lomas de Zamora. There, Judge Federico Villena was randomly assigned the ARCA complaint, which detected transactions amounting to $818 billion in virtual wallets linked to the financial firm.
Villena accused Incardona of forum shopping, while the prosecutor keeps that the judicial computer system did not consider the connection between cases. The decision now rests with the Federal Chamber of La Plata.
Sur Finanzas under scrutiny: the money laundering mechanism hypothesis
According to the main line of investigation, Sur Finanzas allegedly operated as a vehicle to launder undeclared funds through agreements with clubs that were facing financial difficulties.
The scheme would consist of loans recorded for large amounts in the contracts, although the clubs reportedly received significantly lower sums. The difference returned to the financial firm and was redistributed among various actors.
Lavado de dinero: la Justicia profundiza la investigación sobre Sur Finanzas y la AFA
During Tuesday's operations, the Federal Police seized administrative documentation, sponsorship contracts, and electronic devices at stadiums and club headquarters. In total, there have been 33 raids since dawn.
Clubs involved and the role of the AFA
The list of raided entities included names such as Independiente, Racing, San Lorenzo, Argentinos Juniors, and Barracas Central, as well as lower division teams like Excursionistas, Temperley, Morón, and Platense. Incardona requested charges be brought against all the raided institutions.
One of the most sensitive points to clarify is whether there is a direct relationship between Sur Finanzas and the AFA, which could have acted as an intermediary in some agreements. Those close to "Chiqui" Tapia deny this and assert that the relationship is strictly commercial.
Meanwhile, financier Ariel Vallejo appeared before Judge Armella a few days ago to hand over his cell phone and his mother's — who is also under investigation — so they could be examined.
