AFA President Claudio Tapia "detained" along with a few officials questioned by the FBI over 300 million money laundering case
According to various media accounts, the head of the AFA was questioned and his phone confiscated only seconds before boarding an aircraft back home
XtraTime Newsweek: Things haven't gone great for Argentine football this past week. Firstly, the tragic loss at the finals of the World Cup brought a sombre end to the country's campaign and secondly, the Argentina Football Federation has come under the scanner of the USA's FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigation).
According to various media accounts, the head of the AFA was questioned and his phone confiscated only seconds before boarding an aircraft back home. The FBI allegedly questioned AFA president Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia about allegations that hundreds of millions of dollars in sponsorship funds were laundered via US banks.
Tapia was scheduled to fly to Buenos Aires with many members of the World Cup squad when US law enforcement interfered, according to local media site Infobae. Tapia was also allegedly taken into custody, however the AFA has disputed this.
In a statement, the AFA stated that neither its president, Claudio Tapia, nor its treasurer, Pablo Toviggino, had been asked to testify by US courts. However, the Argentine association admitted that a third party was asked to appear before a US grand jury to potentially present evidence against multiple persons, including organization executives.
According to Infobae, US officials are looking into more than $300 million in AFA-linked commercial contracts, as part of a broader investigation into Argentine football financing following December searches in a money-laundering case.
According to a witness at the airport, as the Argentine team was preparing to board its flight, federal officials questioned Tapia and Toviggino for around 30 minutes on the bus.
The group did not identify the third person called by US courts, but stated that US officials had not targeted Tapia or Toviggino.
It has been stated that US officials are investigating if cash tied to the AFA was transferred via American banks in an attempt to launder money or conduct fraud.
According to bank records, millions of dollars moved through numerous financial institutions in the United States. According to the statements, some of the monies were only in these accounts for a few days before being transferred elsewhere.