Overview
- Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia asked the Economic Criminal Appeals Court on Wednesday to revive his appeal after judges declared it forfeited over a filing lapse.
- The court first set a hearing for April 24 and later moved it to May 5 only for parties that requested a delay, and Tapia’s defense did not do so, leading judges to mark his and AFA’s appeals as “deserted.”
- Tapia’s lawyer argued the cutoff was an excessive technical penalty and said he believed the new date applied to all sides, while asking to be heard or to take the dispute to the higher Cassation Court if refused.
- A new hearing date for other defendants is set for May 11, when lawyers plan to file written arguments that the judges will review before deciding whether to confirm or reverse the indictments.
- The chamber’s prosecutor urged stricter charges by adding 6 billion pesos tied to advertising money for clubs, while defenses say no crime occurred because civil-association protections were in place and the debt was repaid with interest before the tax agency’s complaint.