The processing of Chiqui Tapia and Pablo Toviggino for evasion of more than $19 billion has been confirmed

The Chamber of Economic Criminal Law confirmed this Friday the indictments of Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and Pablo Ariel Toviggino, president and treasurer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), in the context of a case for tax evasion involving the entity. The resolution also upheld the indictment of the AFA itself.

The investigation points to the failure to pay on time more than 19 billion pesos corresponding to taxes and employer contributions. The complaint was filed by the Revenue and Customs Control Agency (ARCA), which detected alleged irregularities in the management of those funds.

The ruling was signed by judges Roberto Hornos and Carolina Robiglio, who supported the decision of federal economic criminal judge Diego Amarante. The magistrate had considered the commission of the crime of aggravated misappropriation of taxes proven in 34 instances, in real competition with aggravated misappropriation of social security resources proven in 17 occasions.

To uphold the indictments, the Chamber declared the appeals filed by the defense as void. According to reports, the defense attorney requested a postponement of the hearing in which he was to substantiate the appeal once the deadline had expired, which led to the dismissal of the claims.

The case claims that the AFA would have withheld taxes and contributions to Social Security without depositing them within the established deadlines. According to the file, the entity acted as a withholding agent, deducting taxes and social charges from third parties, and used those resources as a financing mechanism.

From the AFA, they rejected the accusations when the case became public. “The voluntary payment of these tax obligations was made prior to their due date, this issue being the basis of the claim already made before the intervening court, which is currently pending resolution by the Appeals Chamber,” stated the institution.

Amid the judicial proceedings, Tapia is currently in the United States accompanying the Argentine national team at the football World Cup. To be able to travel, he had to request judicial authorization, as his indictment included a restriction on leaving the country.

For his part, Toviggino would remain in Argentina, as he would not have requested permission from the court to travel abroad.