Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), submitted a rectifying sworn declaration to the Ministry of Justice of Buenos Aires on Thursday, adding nearly 1,000 million pesos in previously undeclared assets just hours before being formally indicted by federal prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita for alleged illicit enrichment, fraud, and embezzlement.
The revised financial disclosure, filed at 13.04 on Thursday, entered the Buenos Aires provincial system one day after federal judge Ariel Lijo took charge of the illicit enrichment complaint against the football executive. According to the documents, Tapia added 984.3 million pesos in cash and bank deposits that he admitted omitting from his initial filing at the start of 2025. With this correction, his declared provincial assets jumped from $49,4 million de pesos to 1033.6 million in total.
The Assets and Discrepancies in Financial Disclosures
For fourteen months, the sworn declaration Tapia submitted as president of the Ceamse—a public company managing waste in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area—stated that he held no cash or bank accounts. “I declare not to possess cash or in banking entities, nor my family group subject to declare,” he noted on July 10, 2025. That assertion vanished in Thursday’s rectifying document, which added 39,5 million pesos in cash and 944,7 million pesos in bank deposits, including a US$ 250.000 bank deposit equivalent to unos 253 millones.
A comparison between provincial filings and documents submitted to the City of Buenos Aires’ Integrity Office reveals significant friction. On August 12, 2025—just 33 days after telling the provincial executive he had zero cash—Tapia informed city authorities that he held 39,5 millones de pesos in cash and more than 1000 million en el banco. Guillermo Tofoni, the complainant in the judicial case, pointed out in his filing that Tapia’s declared income fails to explain his 2019 asset growth, the accumulation of un millón de dólares in liquidity in 2024, or the unexplained disappearance of that liquidity by July 2025.
Did You Know? Tapia declared a total of seven real estate properties for 2025, including a 420-square-meter home in the Sofitel Cardales residential complex acquired in 2020 for $37,3 millones, and a 291-square-meter apartment in Caballito bought in 2019 for 17,3 millones de pesos.
Fraud Allegations and Salary Discrepancies
Beyond the illicit enrichment probe, Tofoni accused Tapia of fraud involving roughly 300 million dollars in overseas AFA contract funds allegedly funneled to shell companies. An additional investigation focuses on the owners of a 20-million-dollar mansion in Pilar allegedly linked to AFA treasurer Pablo Toviggino. Representatives of Argentine football have consistently denied all accusations.
The filings also detail stark differences in income and working hours. Tapia reports dedicating 15 hours a week to lead the AFA without a salary, though he collects 30 million pesos in association travel expenses. Conversely, he records dedicating just two hours a week to his role as second vice president of Conmebol, a position that nets him $718,5 millones anuales netos—nearly 60 million pesos per month—amounting to approximately 7 million pesos per hour worked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Claudio Tapia submit a rectifying sworn declaration?
Tapia updated his financial documentation on Thursday to include nearly 1,000 million pesos that he omitted from his original asset declaration at the start of 2025, hours before fiscal authorities formally indicted him.
What specific allegations are included in the judicial investigation?
The complainant Guillermo Tofoni accuses Tapia of illicit enrichment, fraud, and the alleged diversion of approximately 300 million dollars from international AFA contracts into shell companies.
How much does Tapia earn from his position at Conmebol?
Tapia reports earning $718,5 millones anuales netos—about 60 million pesos per month—for dedicating two hours a week to his role as second vice president of Conmebol.