Buenos Aires Legislature archives files in ‘Chocolate’ Rigau case

The Buenos Aires Legislature has voted to archive internal administrative files related to the ‘Chocolate’ Rigau scandal. This decision prevents the legislature from disclosing to prosecutors which lawmakers were responsible for appointing the ‘ñoquis’—employees who allegedly received salaries without performing actual duties—whose debit cards Rigau used to withdraw funds.

The archiving of these documents was conducted through an express vote in the Chamber of Deputies during a session in May. The move was part of a larger project to ratify nearly 8,000 administrative resolutions, which included the Rigau case files. The vote was passed quickly without debate, with the majority of political forces present supporting the measure, while Cristian Castillo of the Left Front was the sole dissenting vote.

This decision follows a request from prosecutor Betina Lacki and a subsequent order from Guarantee Judge Guillermo Federico Atencio to present the documentation. The Legislature formally responded that the documents would not be provided because they were part of a general resolution project that has since been archived.