Argentine authorities executed about 15 simultaneous raids on 22 August as part of a judicial investigation into an alleged kickback scheme at the National Disability Agency (ANDIS). Police searched the Pilar home of the agency’s recently dismissed chief, Diego Spagnuolo, seizing his mobile phones and a cash-counting machine, and a court later barred him from leaving the country. The probe was triggered by audio recordings, published earlier in the week, in which a voice said to be Spagnuolo discusses 8 percent bribes on medicine purchases and cites presidential chief of staff Karina Milei and senior adviser Eduardo “Lule” Menem as beneficiaries. Reuters could not authenticate the clips, and none of the officials named have been charged. Eduardo and Martín Menem rejected the allegations as a politically motivated fabrication, while the presidency has kept silent. Opposition lawmakers are seeking to question Karina Milei in Congress over the matter, adding to the pressure on President Javier Milei after a series of legislative setbacks. The government removed Spagnuolo last week “as a preventive measure” and says it is cooperating with the courts. Financial markets reacted sharply to the turmoil. The S&P Merval index measured in dollars slid almost 5 percent and sovereign bonds lost up to 3 percent on Monday, pushing country-risk to about 753 basis points. Traders cited concern that the corruption case could erode support for the administration in the 7 September provincial ballot and the 26 October national midterms. Treasury officials signalled they may raise bank reserve requirements and rates again to contain currency volatility.
📊En un contexto de alta tensión política, el Gobierno enfrenta una semana crítica, también, en lo financiero. Con el riesgo país en 753 puntos básicos, persiste la desconfianza de los inversores | Por @julianguarino✍️| Conocé más: https://t.co/ojnUb2DsXv https://t.co/wiTLWD2ofa
🔴Coimas en ANDIS: la Justicia bloqueó el acceso a las cajas de seguridad de los principales involucrados | Más información en https://t.co/wLQDCFnHvs https://t.co/CITriYxwkR
El escándalo por coimas sacude el mercado y la city ahora duda sobre el desempeño electoral del oficialismo | Por @solrial✍️| Más información👇 https://t.co/J9Qd2yQ7sa