The federal justice system received a Expansion of the complaint against President Javier Milei, for alleged irregularities and possible crimes in the context of the barbecue held at the Olivos estate on September 17, 2024.
The complaint states that payments were made through a payment terminal associated with the CUIT of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, “which could constitute the crimes of illicit enrichment and fraud against the public administration.”
The petition was filed before the Federal Court by the association Arco Social, and was assigned by lottery to the 9th federal court, currently substituted by Judge María Eugenia Capuchetti.
On September 17, Milei organized a barbecue at the Quinta de Olivos, attended by deputies and officials who support her administration and, in particular, who showed their support in the face of her recent veto of the pension reform.
The event, which was initially planned as a dinner to thank the audience for their political support, “gained public notoriety due to the unconventional characteristics of its organization.”
The presidential spokesman, Manuel Adorni, publicly announced through his account on the social network “X” (formerly Twitter) that Each attendee would pay the sum of $20,000 to cover associated costs and cash payments would not be accepted.
Payment under the magnifying glass
In this context, the development of the event caused controversy due to the use of a device to charge the deputies and officials attending the barbecue the cost of their participation.
As the hours went by, evidence emerged linking the terminal to the CUIT of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, under the direction of Karina Milei, which raised suspicions about the possible use of public funds for a private event, the court document warns.
Following the event, images of the payment receipts issued by the terminal were made public, where it can be seen, according to the complaint, that the equipment used was associated with the CUIT corresponding to the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Nation, headed by Karina Milei.
According to the complaint, after the information was revealed, “it is clear that the funds raised from those attending the event were directly deposited into the account of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, headed by Karina Milei.”
The cost of participation was set at $20,000 per person, which raises questions about whether that sum covers the actual expenses of the event, asked the association headed by Alejandro Díaz Pascual.
Various media outlets have made estimates of the total cost of the barbecue, taking into account the market prices of the food and drinks served. According to these calculations, The actual cost of the event would be around $3 million.
The association believes that “an investigation should be carried out into whether public funds were used to finance any aspect of the event, given that the use of a team associated with the General Secretariat raises the possibility that state funds were used to cover expenses that should have been covered by the organisers or the attendees.”
Requested evidence measures
The complainant requested that he be summoned witness statement to all attendees at the event, and that they accompany all documentation related to the payment of $20,000 made (payment coupon, transaction statement showing the payment, etc.).
He also requested that an accounting audit be carried out to determine the origin and destination of the funds raised at the event, as well as the existence of possible inconsistencies between the payments made and the estimated costs.
The presentation requested that the General Secretariat of the Presidency be requested to send all documentation related to the equipment associated with the Secretariat’s CUIT; report the transactions carried out with said payment terminal (indicating the date, amount and reason for the transactions); report bank details of the accounts associated with said terminal.
Source: Ambito
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