Buenos Aires, Dec. 1 (NA) — Former national deputy Elisa Carrió, along with the president of the Civic Coalition of Pilar, Matías Yofe, and Buenos Aires legislator Facundo del Gaiso, requested that an investigation be opened into the alleged frontmen for the head of the AFA, Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia.
The complaint aims to investigate the 'possible commission of the crime of money laundering and other preceding illicit activities' by Luciano Nicolás Pantano and Ana Lucía Conte, who are allegedly linked to Tapia.
According to information provided to the Argentine News Agency, the company of Pantano and Conte, Real Central SRL, would have acquired a property located in Villa Rosa (Pilar), consisting of two lots with a total area of 105,384.80 square meters. Inside, there would be classic cars, an Arabian and thoroughbred horse stud farm, an equestrian training track, a heliport, and multiple sports facilities.
'Even if the property was acquired by the company, whose owners are the accused persons, after increasing its share capital, that increase would in no way justify the financial transaction for the alleged acquisition of such an estate, not only due to its size but also because of the luxury infrastructure inside it. With just a little common sense, it is evident the impossibility of affording such a purchase of such economic magnitude,' the complainants stated.
They added that 'to reach that conclusion, it is necessary to recount some facts that could provide information to understand the relationships that the accused would have built with the supposed owner of the property, a leading figure in Argentine football.'
Meanwhile, they also stated that in January 2023, Pantano became the head of the company Mendoza Wines SA and 'partnered with Lucas Labbade in the vineyard business.' Labbade is a recognized figure in Argentine football for his performance as the general manager of Boca Juniors during the Daniel Angelici administration; he had a 'central role,' where he worked in the 'administrative, contractual, and operational' areas and was linked to 'key players in national and international football.'
'We cannot ignore that there are public versions (journalistic and on social media) that would indicate that the property and the assets mentioned (...) could belong to or be linked to Mr. Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, which reinforces the need to investigate the origin and traceability of said assets,' they concluded.
