The Public Prosecutor’s Office of General Roca requested sentences between 7 years and 11 and a half years of effective prison for the four individuals already declared criminally responsible for “repeated scams aggravated by having been committed to the detriment of the public administration.” With the last update, the damage amounts to 4,100,000,000 pesos.
The number of victims was emphasized, including all IPROSS members, who were directly or indirectly affected by this multi-million dollar scam. In addition, the level of this organization was highlighted, as evidenced by the criminal scheme and the selection of the target of the scam.
“There are more than 574 events, each of them had a different modality. This was a prepared action, they had studied how to commit each maneuver. As highlighted in the guilty verdict, it was almost a criminal organization, which had selected certain medications, of great value, with 100 percent coverage by social work,” explained the chief prosecutor.
He added that the operation ended because “a box with prescriptions was found in a pharmacy, but it is not that they decided to stop the crimes on their own. They had not decided to finish it.”
The indictment emphasized that “it was not a scam committed with money, but rather a sale of medicines that resulted in money, here we see the magnitude of the damage caused. As stated by the accounting expert of the Attorney General’s Office, the scam has an updated value as of April 1, 2024 of more than 4,100,000,000 pesos.”
“The direct victim is the State, the social security, but we also have indirect victims, including all Ipross members,” especially “those whose personal data was used to concoct this maneuver,” the College of Pharmacists of Rio Negro and its members, the prosecutor pointed out.
The Public Ministry added as an aggravating factor that “the accused are all professionals, all with pharmacist degrees, that title has commitments and responsibilities, they are one more link in the entire health system and fulfill a determining social function in citizenship, of service. . This must be taken into account when measuring the penalty.”
“They did everything in pursuit of personal benefit, we were able to prove that none of them had any financial need, they did it out of greed or avarice,” the prosecution determined, and the only mitigating factor was the lack of criminal records of the four criminals responsible.
Orders for punishment
For the auditor of the College of Pharmacists, Sandra Fasano, the Prosecutor’s Office pointed out as a particular aggravating factor the position she held in the College of Pharmacists of Rio Negro, the size and relevance of her work. In addition to the number of acts for which she was found guilty as a co-author (574) and her intervention in all modalities. Penalty requested: 11 years and 6 months in prison, plus special disqualification as a pharmacist for a period of 6 years and a fine of 90 thousand pesosM articles 45, 55, 174 inc 5th, in function 172, 20 bis inc 3rd and 22 bis.
For Fabio Adrián Caffaratti, who also participated in all types of criminal activity, held high positions in the College’s commission and was found guilty of 249 frauds, he requested 10 years in prison, as well as special disqualification as a pharmacist for a period of 6 years and the same amount of 90 thousand pesos. Articles 45, 55, 174 inc 5th, in function 172, 20 bis inc 3rd and 22 bis
Loss to values updated to 04/01/2024: $1,789,546,299.02.
For Rodolfo Eduardo Mastandrea, who was also part of the Board of Directors of the College and is guilty of having perpetrated 122 acts, a sentence of 8 years and 6 months in prison, special disqualification as a pharmacist for a period of 6 years, and a fine of 90 thousand pesos. Articles 45, 55, 174 inc 5th, in function 172, 20 bis inc 3rd and 22 bis.
Loss to values updated to 04/01/2024: $968,296,204.84.
Finally, for Raúl Eduardo Mascaró, who served on the Board of Directors of the Colegio de Rio Negro as well as the Argentine Pharmaceutical Confederation (CoFA) and was found guilty of 107 scams. The intended penalty is 7 years and 6 months in prison, special disqualification as a pharmacist for a period of 6 years and a fine of 90,000 pesos. Articles 45, 55, 174 inc 5th, in function 172, 20 bis inc 3rd and 22 bis.
Damage at values updated as of 04/1/2024: $942,230,562.06.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office also requested that the money seized from the last item that the social work deposited to the pharmacists in the framework of the scam be returned to Ipross but that they were not able to collect due to the blockade imposed by the judicial investigation.
The complaint, on behalf of the provincial State as the victim, supported the tax arguments and requested higher penalties.
Caffaratti’s private defender requested three years of conditional prison and disqualification from practicing as a pharmacist for a period of 6 years. While the defender of Fasano, Mascaró and Mastandrea asked that no sentence be passed and if the Court does so, the minimum sentence be suspended.
Two other people pleaded guilty for the same crimes in a summary proceeding and are serving three years’ suspended sentences.
Over three days, 24 witnesses were heard, 10 proposed by the prosecution and 14 by private defence.
The intervening Court will announce the sentence on Thursday, July 4 at 6:00 p.m.
Source: Public Prosecutor’s Office of General Roca
Photo: Channel 10
