Argentina AFA treasurer’s Pilar mansion investigation faces judge review

Argentina's judiciary will revisit which judge should oversee the probe into a $20 million mansion in Pilar allegedly bought for AFA treasurer Pablo Toviggino. The property, spanning about five hectares and equipped with a helipad, 54 luxury cars and equestrian facilities, is registered to Real Central S.A., whose listed owners are Luciano Pantano and his mother Ana Conte, who are accused of acting as frontmen for Toviggino.

Pantano and Conte have appealed the assignment of the case to the Federal Economic Criminal Court, arguing that the transfer breaches their constitutional right to a natural judge. The Federal Court of Cassation (Cámara Federal de Casación Penal) accepted the appeal and scheduled a public hearing for 12 August to decide whether the matter should return to the Federal Court of Campana (Judge Adrián González Charvay) or remain with the Economic Criminal Court under Judge Verónica Straccia. The investigation has already passed through four judges since it began, with earlier raids uncovering the luxury assets and questioning the owners’ financial capacity.