Argentinian authorities are widening bribery investigation into Victoria casino
Earlier this month, Argentine authorities announced an investigation into Casino Victoria, accusing the casino of being involved in a bribery scheme linked to former politician Martin Insolade. A search warrant was executed at the casino and records that investigators believed might reveal suspicions of significant bribery were expunged.
Those involved in the case known as "YachtGate" include former Buenos Aires provincial cabinet president Martín Insaurralde and his ex-wife, TV presenter Jésica Cirio ). Insaurralde's famous model girlfriend Sofía Clérici is also involved in the investigation.
During a search of Casino Victoria, investigators found that the casino issued invoices totaling 11.2 million Argentine pesos ($31,068) for a 2022 production of the television show Cirio. The two bills, worth about 5.6 million Argentine pesos ($15,534) each, were recorded as unpaid in casino records.
Connect the dots
The TV show, titled Women of the National Team, will air in December 2022, coinciding with Argentina's participation in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Authorities believe the scheme may help secure and maintain Daniel Motone's control of the gambling license. Mautone owns Casino Victoria as well as numerous other arcades throughout Buenos Aires.
Argentina's Justice Ministry suspects the bills may have been a secret bribe for the former Buenos Aires chief of staff. Rumor has it that Insaurad secretly spied on gambling operations in the province of Buenos Aires. He allegedly operated through a trusted official, Omar Galdurralde, the head of Buenos Aires's gambling regulator, the Lottery and Casino Association.
Although the invoice was discovered, investigators have yet to determine payment details. The invoices range from December 7 to December 30, 2022, and do not contain information about the flow of funds. Additionally, discrepancies between payments reported by casinos and payments allegedly received by television shows prompted investigators to seek clarification.
The case comes as authorities face obstacles in obtaining crucial evidence from Clérici's cell phone, which was seized during search warrants at her homes in Tigre and Vicente López in October. Computer forensics investigators attempted to unlock the phone while examining two tablets and five USB memory sticks belonging to Insaurralde.
Investigators are currently leaning toward criminal profiteering because there is not enough evidence to charge money laundering. However, authorities expect cooperation from the United States and suspect that important assets belonging to Cirio and Insaurralde may be hidden there.
Close ties between Insaurralde and Mautone
The investigation into Inshorad's case was aided by the revelation of evidence about travel he had undertaken while serving as a government official. The investigation revealed that Victoria Casino paid for some of the many flights he took.
The Department of Justice carefully studied Insaulard's travel schedule and determined that none of the trips were official. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that he took private trips and Mautone paid for them.
Authorities have not yet determined the nature of those trips. However, they suspect they may have been involved in secret bribery. As the investigation continues, they hope to put more pieces together.
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Source: www.casino.org
