Fraud in Argentine Navy: 639,000 dollars in irregular salaries to 23 people
The head of Financial Administration of the Navy reported 645 improper payments to the courts between 2022 and 2026. Four beneficiaries had no employment relationship with the force.
Fraud complaint in Argentine Navy salaries exceeds 600,000 dollars
The head of Financial Administration of the Argentine Navy, Carlos Alberto Castro Maggio, filed a criminal complaint with the courts for irregularities in the payment of salaries to 23 people, four of whom had no employment relationship with the force. The amount involved totals approximately 981 million pesos, equivalent to roughly 639,100 dollars, according to infobae.com reporting based on documentation accessed by the EFE news agency.
The document states that "between July 2022 and January 2026, 645 improper payments were made in favour of 23 people, for amounts exceeding those corresponding to them according to their respective payroll statements and/or without support in legitimately calculated salaries".
The irregularities were detected in an internal review conducted in February. According to the complaint, the transactions did not result from simple administrative errors but from deliberate alterations to the files used to order bank payments. These alterations were introduced after routine controls and before final transmission to the bank.
Among the beneficiaries were active and retired military personnel, civilian staff and four people external to the Navy. These latter received 184 payments totalling 434.2 million pesos, approximately 283,000 dollars.
The primary recipient was María del Carmen Prieto, with 46 payments totalling 152.3 million pesos—around 99,218 dollars. Prieto is the wife of Ariel Baltasar Atanasoff, the person responsible for directly overseeing payroll processing.
According to the document, Atanasoff acknowledged knowledge of the transactions and stated that the payments were made manually. According to the complaint, he also declared that "he was the one who decided the transactions, their beneficiaries and the amounts involved" and that he executed them personally.
The document indicates that some beneficiaries repaid the sums received in whole or in part. Verified reimbursements total 42.6 million pesos, approximately 27,700 dollars, so the outstanding difference stands at 938.6 million pesos, equivalent to roughly 611,400 dollars. The complainant has requested that the courts investigate the circumstances and corresponding criminal responsibilities.
Source: Google News AR — Crime