Argentina summons 34 people to testify in VIP vaccine scandal

Argentine federal judge María Eugenia Capuchetti has summoned 34 individuals to testify in the investigation known as the ‘Vacunatorio VIP’ case. The probe examines the irregular administration of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, specifically targeting those who received doses outside of official priority protocols.

The group of summoned individuals includes high-profile figures such as former President Eduardo Duhalde, his wife Hilda ‘Chiche’ Duhalde, former Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana, journalist Horacio Verbitsky, and deputy Eduardo Valdés. The investigation also involves business leaders, union officials, and relatives of public officials.

Federal prosecutor Eduardo Taiano alleges that the beneficiaries were not merely passive recipients but were ‘necessary participants’ in the crime of embezzlement (peculado), involving the irregular use of public resources. The hearings are scheduled to take place between October 2 and December 9. This stage follows a previous phase of the investigation that focused on the officials who facilitated the irregular access, which has already been moved to oral trial.