Prosecutor appeals transfer of Pilar mansion money laundering case

Prosecutor Mario Villar has filed an extraordinary federal appeal to prevent the transfer of a money laundering investigation involving the purchase of a $20 million mansion in Pilar, Argentina. The case involves allegations that Pablo Toviggino, the treasurer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), used straw buyers to acquire the property.

The estate, located in the Santa Rosa neighborhood, features 105,000 square meters and a helipad. While the property is officially registered to Real Central SRL—owned by Luciano Pantano and Ana Lucía Conte—investigators suspect the funds belong to Toviggino. The investigation also noted the presence of 54 high-end vehicles on the premises.

Villar has challenged the decision by the Chamber of Cassation to move the case to the federal court in Campana, calling the ruling “arbitrary.” He is requesting that the Supreme Court of Justice order the case to return to the original judge, Daniel Rafecas, in Comodoro Py. The Chamber of Cassation had previously ruled that because the case involves alleged money laundering, it falls under federal jurisdiction, leading to the transfer requested by the defendants.