Facundo Leal to be questioned in Argentine corruption probe involving $2 million

Former ARSAT and airport regulator ORSNA chief Facundo Leal will appear before a federal judge in San Martín (San Isidro) on Monday as part of a criminal investigation into alleged bribes and illicit enrichment. Authorities seized US$2 million in cash, synthetic drugs, ketamine, cocaine and surveillance equipment during raids on his homes in Buenos Aires and Mendoza. Leal, who served under Presidents Alberto Fernández and Javier Milei, is under house arrest and has refused to cooperate with investigators, including declining to hand over his phone password.

The case is linked to a broader inquiry dubbed the “band of the Mendocinos,” which examines suspected overpricing, directed contracts and illegal payments to private firms during Leal’s tenure at the state telecom company. Prosecutors allege that he received kickbacks in exchange for awarding services to a logistics operator, constituting fraud, passive bribery and incompatibility with public duties.