Sada bez Kupe, Chiqui Tapia se suočava s teškim sudskim scenarijem

Argentina’s football federation president, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, returns home after leading his country to a historic second-place finish in the FIFA World Cup, only to face a complex legal landscape upon arrival. The flight ARG1971, operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas, is currently over the Atlantic Ocean and is scheduled to land at Ezeiza International Airport around 6 PM local time. This return marks the culmination of a successful campaign for Argentina, which defeated Spain 1-0 in the final match of the tournament. The legal challenges awaiting Tapia began before the World Cup. In June, the National Chamber of Criminal Economic Law confirmed his prosecution for alleged tax evasion and improper retention of contributions exceeding 19 billion pesos. The ruling supported the initial investigation led by Federal Judge Diego Amarante, who identified 34 acts of illicit tax appropriation and 17 cases of misappropriation of social security funds. The court also revoked the prosecutions of former officials Cristian Malaspina, Víctor Blanco, and Gustavo Lorenzo, citing them as premature and requiring further inquiry into their roles. The case was initiated by the Argentine Revenue and Customs Agency (ARCA), which accused the Argentine Football Association (AFA) of failing to remit taxes withheld from its employees' salaries and the 7.5% of ticket sales allocated to social security. According to the agency, the AFA acted as a withholding agent and had 30 days to transfer these funds to the state treasury, a deadline allegedly not respected. Testimonies from accounting staff indicated that financial decisions were made exclusively by the association's treasurer, Pablo Toviggino, through verbal orders, with funds reportedly used for internal financing rather than being remitted to the government. This action is alleged to violate Articles 4 and 7 of Law 27,430 on Tax Criminal Law. Defendants argue they voluntarily settled much of the debt ahead of schedule, asserting that payments were made prior to stipulated deadlines. They accuse ARCA of forcing criminal charges based on premises contradicting current legal norms. Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department has also launched an investigation into Tapia and other AFA officials, adding another layer of complexity to the situation. Before returning from the World Cup, authorities conducted an operation targeting assets linked to the case. The legal proceedings include a hearing set for August 12 at 11:30 AM, during which the court will determine whether the case should proceed under the Criminal Economic Law chamber or under the jurisdiction of Federal Judge Adrián González Charvay in Campana. The U.S. investigation adds international dimension to the legal challenges facing Tapia and the AFA leadership. Additionally, the judiciary is examining the purchase of a property in Pilar, valued at $17 million and spanning more than 10 hectares, registered under the name of Luciano Pantano. These ongoing legal matters underscore the multifaceted nature of the challenges confronting Argentina’s top football officials following their world-class performance on the global stage.