Argentine Navy investigates salary fraud of $639,100: 23 irregular beneficiaries
The Argentine Navy has reported to the courts 645 improper payments between 2022 and 2026 totalling nearly one million pesos. The salary supervisor allegedly operated the payments manually and for his own benefit.
Argentine Navy reports salary fraud of more than 981 million pesos
The head of Financial Administration of the Argentine Navy, Carlos Alberto Castro Maggio, filed a criminal complaint with the courts over irregularities in salary payments to 23 people, four of whom had no employment relationship with the armed forces. The total amount involved amounts to approximately 981 million pesos, equivalent to around $639,100 USD, according to eluniversal.com.mx.
The filing states that "between July 2022 and January 2026, 645 improper payments were made in favour of 23 people, for amounts exceeding what corresponded to them according to their respective payroll statements and/or without support in lawfully liquidated benefits".
Internal review detected the manoeuvres
The irregularities were discovered in an internal audit conducted in February. According to the complaint, the transactions did not result from administrative errors, but from modifications made after ordinary controls in the files used to order bank transfers. The payments were executed after routine checks and before final transmission to the bank.
The complainant is requesting that the courts investigate both the circumstances of the matter and the corresponding criminal responsibilities.
Salary supervisor at centre of investigation
Among the 23 beneficiaries are active and retired military personnel, civilian staff and four people external to the institution. The latter received 184 payments totalling 434.2 million pesos — approximately $283,000 USD.
The main beneficiary was María del Carmen Prieto, with 46 payments totalling 152.3 million pesos (approximately $99,218 USD). Prieto is the spouse of Ariel Baltasar Atanasoff, the official in charge of directly supervising and controlling salary liquidation.
According to the complaint, Atanasoff acknowledged being aware of the transactions and stated that the payments were made manually. According to the document, he declared that "he was the one who decided the transactions, their beneficiaries and the amounts involved", and that he executed them personally.
Partial returns and outstanding balance
Part of the amounts has already been returned: verified refunds total 42.6 million pesos, equivalent to approximately $27,700 USD. The remaining difference stands at 938.6 million pesos, or around $611,400 USD.
Source: Google News AR — Crime