Argentine Navy under investigation for massive salary fraud

Argentine Navy salary fraud corruption investigation Ariel Atanasoff financial irregularities

Federal authorities have launched a judicial investigation into a massive salary fraud scheme within the Argentine Navy. An internal audit revealed that between July 2022 and January 2026, approximately 981 million pesos were diverted through 645 irregular bank accreditations to 23 individuals. Some reports suggest the total amount of diverted funds could exceed 2,000 million pesos as new transactions and beneficiaries are identified.

The scheme involved manually modifying Banco Nación accreditation files after payroll had been processed, allowing for payments significantly higher than those listed on official pay stubs. This allowed the discrepancies to remain hidden from standard payroll records.

Captain Ariel Atanasoff, head of the Navy's Revista Department, is a primary suspect. He reportedly admitted to modifying the system to provide financial assistance to personnel. However, investigators also found that his wife, María del Carmen Prieto, received over 152 million pesos through 46 separate accreditations despite having no official connection to the Navy. Federal prosecutor Ramiro González has requested evidence including witness testimonies and forensic computer analysis to advance the case.

Entities

Argentine Navy · Ariel Atanasoff · Armada Argentina · Banco de la Nación Argentina · Cristina Fernández de Kirchner · Lázaro Báez · Máximo Kirchner · Ramiro González · Roberto Baratta · Sebastián Ramos · Tribunal Oral Federal

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] An internal audit by the Argentine Navy detected approximately 981 million pesos in irregular salary supplements paid to 23 individuals. santafederf.com.ar · tolhuinprimero.com · www.somosjujuy.com.ar
[● 5 SOURCES] Captain Ariel Atanasoff, head of the Revista Department, is a primary suspect in the investigation. santafederf.com.ar · tolhuinprimero.com · www.somosjujuy.com.ar
[● 3 SOURCES] Ariel Atanasoff's wife, María del Carmen Prieto, received over 152 million pesos through 46 accreditations despite having no link to the institution. santafederf.com.ar · tolhuinprimero.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Federal prosecutor Ramiro González opened a judicial investigation into irregular salary payments within the Argentine Navy. santafederf.com.ar · tolhuinprimero.com · www.somosjujuy.com.ar
[● 5 SOURCES] The irregular payments occurred between July 2022 and January 2026. santafederf.com.ar · tolhuinprimero.com · www.somosjujuy.com.ar
[● 5 SOURCES] The irregular operation involved modifying Banco Nación accreditation files after payroll was processed to include amounts higher than those on pay stubs. santafederf.com.ar · tolhuinprimero.com · www.somosjujuy.com.ar