New Evidence in the Yategate Case
The federal court in Lomas de Zamora received nine videos and two photographs on Thursday that could be crucial in the investigation into alleged illicit enrichment and money laundering involving Martín Insaurralde, the former chief of cabinet of Buenos Aires province, and Jesica Cirio, a well-known model and TV host. The material was provided by the Apolo Foundation, led by Yamil Santoro, a current official in Buenos Aires city, and will be delivered in physical form on Friday.
According to the plaintiffs, the files contain metadata that could precisely establish when they were recorded, opening a new line of analysis about the state of the property before the raid carried out on October 24, 2023.
What Do the Images Show?
In the videos, you can see Insaurralde's dressing room with bundles of $100 bills stored in sealed bags, distributed in drawers, shelves, and suitcases. Also visible are security cameras installed in various rooms, a pool table, three pinball machines, six gym machines, and a playroom with arcade games.
A photograph taken on May 23, 2023 shows one of the dressing room drawers empty, while in an earlier video that same space appears full of objects and bags with money. This comparison is central to the hypothesis that the house was “cleaned” before the judicial intervention.
Signs of Modification
The plaintiffs noted differences between what the videos show and what investigators found during the raid. For example, a video shows dark gray faucets in the bathroom, but the 2023 inspection recorded white faucets. There is also a cut black cable near the ceiling, which could correspond to the video surveillance system.
Additionally, security cameras are seen that were not present during the judicial inspection, and objects like the pool table, gym machines, and weights were no longer listed in the official report.
The Importance of Metadata
Unlike the videos previously released by La Nación, which were copies without complete technical information, this new material preserves metadata and hash, which would allow experts to determine its origin, creation date, and possible modifications. The Directorate General of Investigations and Technological Support for Criminal Investigation (DATIP) will be responsible for conducting the forensic analysis.
Lawyer Nicolás Silvera, from the Apolo Foundation, requested evidentiary measures to determine whether there was a removal of objects from the property before the judicial procedure.
Changes in the Court
The case, which until now was in the hands of Judge Luis Arnella, has been transferred to the new magistrate Juan Tomás Rodríguez Ponte, who was sworn in on Thursday and will formally assume his duties tomorrow. In his final days overseeing the case, Arnella dismissed charges against Sofía Clerici, the model who accompanied Insaurralde on the yacht in Marbella, but ordered that her assets continue to be investigated in San Isidro.
The court's expert analysis found “no documentary evidence” of payments from Insaurralde to Clerici, but it did detect unsubstantiated expenses and asset inconsistencies in both of their accounts.
The Origin of Yategate
The investigation began in September 2023, when images of Insaurralde with Sofía Clerici sailing on a luxury yacht off the coast of Marbella, Spain were made public. The scandal, known as Yategate, led to Insaurralde's resignation as chief of cabinet of Buenos Aires province and triggered an investigation into his assets.
Insaurralde and Cirio were in a relationship for over a decade, married in 2014, and separated in 2022, although the divorce was only revealed the following year.
Now, with the new evidence, the court must determine whether the images correspond to the indicated dates and whether the property was indeed emptied before the raid. The forensic analysis of the original files will be crucial for the future of the case.