Financial Crime World

Argentina’s Top Journalists Honored for Exposing Financial Crimes with FinCEN Files Investigation

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Investigative Journalism Team Wins Prestigious FOPEA 2020 Award

Buenos Aires - A team of journalists from La Nación, Infobae and Perfil has been awarded the prestigious Top Investigative Journalism FOPEA 2020 Award by the Argentine Journalism Forum (Foro de Periodismo Argentino) for their role in revealing massive financial crimes linked to politicians, soccer players and businesspeople.

The Award-Winning Investigation

The award-winning investigation was part of the global FinCEN Files project, which exposed suspicious money flows to and from Argentina involving unknown origins and tax havens. The team’s work, which included more than a dozen stories, was recognized by judges as “complex, sensible, collaborative, rigorous and cross-border” and highlighted the impact of financial crimes on Argentine society.

Key Findings

  • Argentine soccer star Javier Mascherano’s British Virgin Islands-registered company Alenda Investments Ltd. was linked to over $1 million in transactions that raised suspicions of possible tax evasion.
  • Lawyer Néstor Marcelo Ramos was tied to controversial Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Ceballos Jiménez, who secretly routed millions of dollars from public housing contracts through offshore companies and bank accounts belonging to family members.

Global Implications

The FinCEN Files investigation involved more than 400 journalists in 88 countries and revealed over $2 trillion in suspicious transactions flowing around the world. The project was led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

Quotes from the Investigators

“I am thrilled to see Argentine journalists recognized for their outstanding work in exposing financial crimes and holding those in power accountable,” said Hugo Alconada Mon, one of the lead investigators.

The FOPEA 2020 Award was presented by judges Diana Baccaro, Ítalo Pisani and Giannina Segnini, who praised the team’s work as a “good description of the local kleptocracy” in Argentina. The award is seen as a major boost for investigative journalism in the country and serves as a reminder of the crucial role that whistleblowers and journalists play in exposing financial crimes and promoting transparency and accountability.