The high-profile legal battle surrounding properties linked to Argentine Football Association (AFA) leadership faced a fresh procedural twist on May 15, 2026, when the Federal Chamber of Criminal Cassation annulled a previous ruling that had assigned jurisdiction over a controversial Pilar mansion to a judge close to the governing body, according to reports from TN. The ongoing dispute over the sprawling property attributed to Pablo Toviggino now sits before the National Appeals Chamber in Economic Penal matters, extending a protracted jurisdictional tug-of-war that has delayed the investigation.
Jurisdictional Ping-Pong: The Casación Ruling
According to the Sala I of the maximum federal criminal tribunal, the earlier decision by the Federal Chamber of San Martín to place the file under federal judge Adrián González Charvay of Campana has been left without effect. Judges Ángela Ledesma and Javier Carbajo formed the majority that sustained the appeal presented by the Ministerio Público Fiscal, determining that the case file belongs under the review of the Cámara Nacional de Apelaciones en lo Penal Económico. Judge Mariano Borinsky voted in disidencia, arguing against the intervention on procedural grounds and warning that shifting venues would generate further delays. The conflict directly pits González Charvay against juzgado nacional en lo Penal Económico N°10 head Marcelo Aguinsky. Until a definitive authority is established, the file remains temporarily in Campana, though judges Roberto Hornos and Carolina Robiglio have been urged by Casación to act with required speed.
Origins of the Investigation and the Pilar Mansion
The case traces back to a December 1, 2025, formal complaint filed by Elisa Carrió, Juan del Gaiso, and Matías Yofe, as documented by TN. The initial filing alleged a complex asset laundering scheme involving high-value assets, including luxury vehicles and purebred Arabian horses tied to top AFA officials. At the center of the probe is a sprawling country estate situated in Villa Rosa, Pilar, widely attributed in judicial filings to Toviggino, a close confidant of AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.
Discrepancies in Valuations and Corporate Connections
Judicial documents reveal stark contrasts in how the property’s financial footprint is valued. The estate was formally acquired in May 2024 with a declared value of US$ 1,8 millones. However, an official court tasación integrated into the case file estimates the actual market value could reach US$ 17 millones. Investigators are examining whether the acquisition utilized a network of frontmen, focusing heavily on Luciano Pantano and his mother, Ana Lucía Conte, who appear as the formal titleholders under the corporate entity Real Central SRL. Court records also note the tracking of visitor logs, business movements, and the use of an AFA corporate credit card by Pantano for various expenses.
Next Steps in the Legal Proceedings
The immediate procedural future rests on the National Appeals Chamber in Economic Penal matters, which must review the conflicting jurisdictions and settle which court commands the principal investigation. With additional appeals pending regarding other administrative actions involving AFA leadership, the timetable for the substantive money laundering probe remains open-ended pending the new competence ruling.
