Concordia court upholds dismissal of employee over electricity meter fraud

A labor court in Concordia, Argentina, has upheld the dismissal with cause of an employee from the Cooperativa Eléctrica de Concordia. Judge Ricardo Larocca ruled that the termination was “ajustado a derecho” (consistent with the law) following an internal investigation into energy meter fraud and supplementary billing irregularities.

The employee, Horacio Alcides Briceño, had sought approximately $43,487,676.27 in severance and interest, but the court rejected all indemnity claims. The ruling was based on evidence of serious labor misconduct and failure to fulfill professional duties related to fraudulent maneuvers involving energy meters at large consumer sites, including businesses and sawmills.

The case stems from a 2022 investigation that uncovered over one hundred tampered meters used to underreport energy consumption. The court also ordered the plaintiff to cover the legal costs of the proceedings.