The Appeals Chamber of La Plata annulled the house arrest granted to former councilor linked to the massismo, Facundo Albini, and his father, Claudio Albini, who served as former deputy director of personnel in the Legislature of the province of Buenos Aires. The Chamber highlighted that Claudio Albini held a leadership position within the criminal structure, while his son played an intermediate operational role, increasing the chances of obstructing the judicial process.
This move reinforces suspicions that they sought to conceal assets linked to the case. Despite the magnitude of the case, the provincial legislature has avoided assuming direct responsibilities. Furthermore, it praised the 'remarkable performance' and 'work dedication' of the employees pointed out by the Justice as part of the fraudulent scheme.
Investigators suspect that the Albini and Rigau would be merely pieces of a broader criminal network, whose higher-ranking responsible individuals have yet to be identified. However, in December, the benefit of house arrest was granted again. The Albini were arrested in November and are now facing a trial alongside Rigau.
Although Rigau was released after 13 days by judges Alejandro Villordo and Juan Benavides, strong social pressure led to the revocation of this measure, and the accused returned to prison in October. This scheme also involves Julio 'Chocolate' Rigau, identified as another key player in the plot.
The court based its decision on the consideration that the Albini played key roles within the alleged criminal organization, posing a significant risk to the course of the investigation if they continued under house arrest. Both are charged with allegedly being part of a criminal network dedicated to appropriating salaries corresponding to fictitious employees, known as 'ñoquis,' in the provincial Legislature.
According to investigations, they diverted at least 464 million pesos from the public budget by simulating salary payments to non-existent employees. The revocation responded to a request filed by prosecutor Betina Lacki, who had questioned the initial ruling of judge Guillermo Atencio, labeling it as arbitrary and lacking solid grounds.
The case gained relevance following Rigau's arrest in September 2023, when he was caught withdrawing cash using 48 foreign debit cards at ATMs in downtown La Plata. An internal investigation, marked by contradictions, concluded that 'anomalies' or economic damages to the State were not detected.
In this context, an attempt was detected by the Albini to dispose of a luxurious mansion of 481 square meters located in an exclusive closed neighborhood on Route 2, through a supposed simulated sale.
