Adorni case: two police officers confirm US$100,000 cash loan before court
The investigation is focused on tracing the money trail
Graciela Molina and Victoria Cancio, mother and daughter, testified for nearly three hours on Monday before federal prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita at the Comodoro Py courthouse as witnesses in the alleged illicit enrichment case against Argentine Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni. Both confirmed they provided a US$100,000 cash loan to the official and that he still owes US$70,000, due in November 2026, according to judicial sources cited by Infobae.
Molina, a retired police commissioner, contributed US$85,000; her daughter Cancio, an accountant currently serving in the police force, provided the remaining US$15,000. The money was handed over in cash at the office of notary Adriana Nechevenko in November 2024, when Adorni was presidential spokesperson. The agreement stipulated a two-year repayment term at 11% annual interest.
According to their testimony, Adorni initially paid monthly installments of US$900 in interest. After a partial capital payment of US$30,000, the monthly amount was reduced to US$600. The lenders told prosecutors that their funds came from personal savings, an inheritance lawsuit and a salary-difference claim following the death of Molina’s husband.
The investigation is focused on tracing the money trail. According to the prosecution’s working theory, the cash received at the notary’s office was deposited by Adorni’s wife, Bettina Angeletti, into a bank account and immediately transferred to the seller of a property at the Indio Cuá country club in Exaltación de la Cruz, Buenos Aires province. On the same day, Adorni used a mortgage on his apartment on Avenida Asamblea in Parque Chacabuco as collateral for the loan.
One detail that drew investigators’ attention was the link between the lenders and notary Nechevenko. According to the judicial reconstruction, it was she who brought the parties together to arrange the deal. Prosecutors added to the case file a WhatsApp message Nechevenko sent Molina on Monday morning, before her testimony, wishing her strength. Both women handed over their mobile phones and provided chat records and documentation.
Last week, former footballer Hugo Morales — the original owner of the Asamblea apartment before selling it to the women who then transacted with Adorni — testified by video call. On Wednesday, retirees Beatriz Viegas and Claudia Sbabo, who sold the official a second apartment in Caballito through an interest-free mortgage scheme for US$200,000, are scheduled to testify. Pablo Feijoo, Viegas’ son, is due to appear on April 22.
The Buenos Aires City Notaries’ Association noted that transactions involving politically exposed persons are mandatorily reported to the Financial Information Unit. If you’re a PEP, you must report to the FIU. It doesn’t matter the amount — it’s automatic, said its president, Magdalena Tato.
