The Argentine Justice system is going all out against Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia. Federal judge Daniel Rafecas ordered new raids in a country house in Pilar, where a luxurious property registered in the name of Real Central SRL is being investigated, linked to Luciano Pantano and Ana Lucia Conte, alleged figureheads of the AFA president. Both are prohibited from leaving the country.
The operation is in addition to those carried out in more than 15 clubs and in an office in downtown Buenos Aires, all within the framework of the case that seeks to clarify the patrimonial growth of Tapia and his entourage. Also in the spotlight is treasurer Pablo Toviggino, who is alleged to be the possible occupant of the mansion, and Sur Finanzas, a financial company accused of operating with loans to clubs under abusive conditions.
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A complicated situation
The case is already overflowing into the world of football. The courts want to know if there was illicit enrichment and the use of front men, while FIFA is watching closely to avoid possible political intervention that could leave Argentina out of the next World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. This is how it is explained in the prestigious media outlet ‘La Nacion’.
And in the midst of the scandal, the world champion team is moving cautiously. Lionel Scaloni is in doubt about playing the Finalissima against Spain in March, another sign of the strained atmosphere that surrounds the AFA today.
