Buenos Aires, March 3 (NA) – Justice rejected on Tuesday the request made by the president of the AFA, Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia, to suspend his investigative statement scheduled for March 5. This was learned by the Argentine News Agency from judicial sources. Tapia's defense had requested last Friday that the summons for an investigative statement be declared null in the case that investigates the alleged improper retention of contributions exceeding $19.353 billion. The motion had been presented by his lawyers Norberto Frontini and Lucio Simonetti. The case Judge in Economic Matters Diego Amarante had ordered on February 19 to summon Tapia, the treasurer Pablo Toviggino and other leaders in a case that investigates the alleged misappropriation of tax withholdings. He had also prohibited both from leaving the country, four months before the World Cup in the United States, although he later granted Tapia the corresponding permission. The case investigates the alleged improper appropriation of more than $19.353 billion corresponding to tax withholdings and social security contributions between March 2024 and September 2025. Tapia must appear on Thursday, March 5, and Toviggino on Friday, March 6. The tax authority ARCA, ex AFIP, had requested Amarante to summon these AFA leaders due to the case they are facing for alleged irregularities in that institution.
