(Picture: Reproduction)

VTV scandal in Buenos Aires: former minister Jorge D’Onofrio faces justice over billionaire bribery scheme

Accused of rigging bids and siphoning funds through shell companies, the former Transport Minister of the Kicillof administration testifies regarding a scheme that allegedly moved astronomical figures.

The Justice system of the Province of Buenos Aires begins a decisive stage this Monday (15) in the investigation of one of the largest corruption scandals in recent Argentine history. The focus is on Jorge D’Onofrio, former Minister of Transport under Axel Kicillof’s administration, who will take the stand to answer charges of bribery (cohecho) and negotiations incompatible with public office. The investigation seeks to dismantle an alleged illicit network built around the Vehicle Technical Verification (VTV), the mandatory vehicle inspection system.

The mechanism of embezzlement: an intermediary system

According to prosecutor Álvaro Garganta, the scheme operated through sophisticated financial triangulation. D’Onofrio is suspected of rigging bids to favor seven concessionary companies. In return, these companies were allegedly forced to hire an “interposed” firm, Soluciones en Telecomunicaciones y Electrónica S.A., ostensibly to manage online appointment scheduling.

The investigation indicates that this intermediary took a commission ranging from 3% to 8.5% of the cost of each verification performed. It is estimated that, in just one year, the scheme moved over 4.9 billion (in local currency), draining public resources and increasing costs for citizens.

Rigged bids and lack of competition

The Public Prosecutor’s Office details a bidding process full of irregularities. The accusation maintains that incomplete documentation was accepted, and companies without legal registration or prior experience were qualified. The systematic disqualification of competitors resulted in a “total absence of competition” across the fourteen tendered zones, evidencing clear steering of the contracts.

The scheme’s pivotal company, Soluciones S.A., was managed by Sebastián Andrés Desio, a figure linked to D’Onofrio’s political circle. A detail that caught the investigators’ attention: Desio acquired the company just five days before it was contracted by the Ministry of Transport. Currently, the company still profits from the system, retaining a portion of VTV fees, which today cost around $79,000 for cars and $143,000 for heavy vehicles.

Legal siege: fines and money laundering

Beyond the VTV case, D’Onofrio’s legal horizon is bleak on other fronts. He faces parallel proceedings, including:

• The Traffic Fines Mafia: An investigation into a network of lawyers and administrative judges who “erased” or reduced traffic fines in exchange for bribes. D’Onofrio is charged as a necessary participant in crimes of fraud and illicit association.

• Asset Laundering: In the Federal court of Campana, Judge Adrián González Charvay prosecuted the former minister for money laundering, ordering an asset freeze of 350 million last November. Facundo Asensio, former Director of Oversight, was also targeted by the measure.

In addition to D’Onofrio, eight businessmen linked to the VTV concessions have been summoned to testify, widening the scope of an investigation that exposes the inner workings of the Buenos Aires public administration.

Resumo em Português:

O ex-ministro de Transporte de Buenos Aires, Jorge D’Onofrio, enfrenta indagações judiciais por suposto envolvimento em um esquema de corrupção na Verificação Técnica Veicular (VTV). Acusado de suborno e fraude em licitações, ele teria favorecido empresas que repassavam comissões milionárias a uma firma intermediária ligada a aliados políticos. Além deste caso, D’Onofrio responde por lavagem de dinheiro e manipulação de multas de trânsito.

Resumen en Español:

El exministro de Transporte de Buenos Aires, Jorge D’Onofrio, enfrenta indagatorias judiciales por su presunta participación en un esquema de corrupción en la Verificación Técnica Vehicular (VTV). Acusado de cohecho y fraude en licitaciones, habría favorecido a empresas que desviaban comisiones millonarias a una firma intermediaria vinculada a aliados políticos. Además de este caso, D’Onofrio responde por lavado de activos y manipulación de multas de tránsito.