Key Takeaways
* Argentine prosecutor Franco Picardi has requested new interrogations for former ANDIS officials Diego Spagnuolo and Daniel Garbellini, along with businessman Miguel Ángel Calvete and 27 other individuals, in a widening corruption investigation.
* The alleged scheme involves public officials and medical supply providers siphoning over 75 billion pesos from state funds between December 2023 and October 2025 through rigged contracts and inflated prices.
* The investigation centers on the manipulation of the Siipfis system for high-cost medical supplies, allegedly benefiting a select group of companies at the expense of vulnerable populations reliant on the agency’s services.
The investigation into alleged corruption within Argentina’s National Agency for Disability (ANDIS) is intensifying, with prosecutor Franco Picardi calling for renewed interrogations of key former officials, including ex-agency head Diego Spagnuolo and businessman Miguel Ángel Calvete, alongside an additional 27 individuals. This move signals a deepening probe into a sophisticated network accused of defrauding the state of over 75 billion pesos through illicit dealings with providers of high-cost medical supplies.
According to Picardi’s latest filings, the alleged scheme, operational from at least December 2023 to October 2025, saw public officials and private company representatives collaborating to manipulate procurement processes, inflate prices, and divert state funds. Spagnuolo, who previously served as the agency’s highest authority during the period under investigation, has already been indicted for bribery, fraud against the state, and incompatible negotiations. He is considered a central figure in what was previously described by Judge Sebastián Casanello as an “illicit association.” Former deputy director Daniel Garbellini, Calvete, and doctor Pablo Atchabahian are also implicated as alleged leaders of this group.
“The involved individuals – acting in an articulated manner and with clearly defined roles, formed a criminal structure that allowed them to illegally obtain millions of pesos, directly affecting public administration and, in particular, a particularly vulnerable group: the population with disabilities,” Picardi stated in his new report. The prosecutor highlighted that beneficiaries of non-contributory pensions and individuals without alternative medical coverage were directly impacted by these alleged corrupt practices.
At the heart of the accusations lies the Siipfis (Integrated System of Information and Benefits Management) system, a special procurement mechanism for high-cost medical supplies. Picardi contends that this system was manipulated by officials and external operators to favor a select group of companies, leading to simulated competition, inflated prices, and illicit kickbacks. The prosecutor detailed how price inquiries were intentionally directed towards specific companies, with ANDIS officials allegedly providing sensitive information, including dates of bids and user credentials, to facilitate direct access to the Siipfis platform for affiliated firms.
In addition to requesting the re-interrogation of Spagnuolo, Garbellini, and Calvete, Picardi has called for the indictment of 27 other individuals, including Emilio César Olguin, Evangelina Ileana García, Claudio Alejandro Kahn, Gerardo Raúl Angarami, Oscar Alberto Capello, Guido Capello, Pablo Alejandro Rivero, Martim Goncalo Armella, Hernán Darío Rasmussen, Máximo Ariel Perdiechizi, Osmar Mariano Caballi, Mariano Sagués, Christian Sagués, Vicente Sagués, Lucas Sagués, Humberto Gabriel Maone, Javier Antonio Bernat, Fernando Martín Bernat, Gustavo Bernat, Vicente Vázquez, Nicolás Luna, Fabián Piedimonte, Lautaro Britez, and Diego Miras Acosta. The investigation suggests that over 20 businessmen representing more than 30 companies were involved in this alleged criminal enterprise.
The current judicial investigation, initiated seven months ago, paints ANDIS as a “virtually discretionary administered window” that concentrated economic benefits to favored suppliers, bypassing principles of transparency and control inherent in state activities. The case initially gained traction from leaked audio recordings allegedly featuring Spagnuolo discussing an illegal fundraising scheme within the agency, reportedly mentioning Karina Milei, the sister of the President and Secretary General of the Presidency. While Spagnuolo and other defendants have challenged the legality of these recordings, prosecutor Picardi has defended their use, stating they were not utilized as evidence. A divided Federal Chamber previously ordered Judge Sebastián Casanello to address doubts regarding the origin of the audio material, though Casanello deferred, citing a separate ongoing investigation into the matter.
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