Exen Gym Case: Argentine Court Revokes Money Laundering Charges

The Federal Court of Appeals in Resistencia has revoked the pretrial detention and processing of five individuals involved in a money laundering investigation linked to the Exen gym chain and Clinis Automotores. The court issued a finding of lack of merit, stating that the illicit origin of the funds has not been sufficiently proven.

The ruling orders the immediate release of Federico Alejandro Clinis Canal, Sergio Nicolás Clinis Canal, María Graciela Canal, Mauro Emmanuel Lugo Heim, and Jorge César Alberto Vargas. The court also upheld the previous lack of merit status for Yamil Gabriel Gane and Raquel Edith Bohacek, rejecting an appeal by the Public Prosecutor's Office.

While the court acknowledged a related drug trafficking investigation involving José Heraldo Romero, it maintained that this does not currently prove the funds used for the gyms were derived from such activities. The investigation remains open to further examine the provenance of the assets.