The Federal Chamber of Buenos Aires will intervene for the first time today in the ANDIS case, which investigates the alleged payment of bribes by drugstores for the purchase of medications in the disability area, in a hearing to be held to review the case's nullity petitions. After being rescheduled last week, the hearing will take place at 10:30 AM at Comodoro Py, as confirmed by the Argentine News Agency from judicial sources. The resources presented by the Kovalivker family, owners of the Suizo Argentina drugstore, were rejected by Federal Judge Sebastián Casanello, so the file will go on appeal to the II Chamber of the Court of Appeals, composed of judges Roberto Boico, Martín Irurzun, and Eduardo Farah. To the invalidity petitions of the case, the also investigated former head of ANDIS, Diego Spagnuolo, was added. The Court must decide whether to confirm the rejection of the nullity, in which case the investigation under summary secrecy will continue its course. On October 9 of last year, Federal Prosecutor Franco Picardi had requested to carry out 25 simultaneous raids on drugstores and private homes because serious irregularities and steering had been determined in the purchase of high-cost medications by ANDIS. Casanello rejected the nullity requests presented by the Kovalivker brothers in line with the refusal of Prosecutor Picardi, who stated that they were 'erroneous' and 'contradictory' and had the purpose of 'hindering an incipient investigation.' Before the Chamber, that position must be supported by the prosecution in the appeal instance. The nullity petition is based on the fact that the case was opened based on Spagnuolo's recordings, which would have been obtained illegally. In those recordings, the former official mentioned the Suizo Argentina drugstore as part of the bribery payment scheme and also referred to the president's sister and General Secretary of the Presidency, Karina Milei, and Eduardo 'Lule' Menem. The Kovalivker's lawyer, Martín Magram, claims the absolute nullity of the criminal case because it was initiated based on 'adulterated recordings, obtained illicitly or even created by artificial intelligence'.
