The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice rejected an appeal presented by the former director of the defunct National Aid Program (PAN) Giacomo Tamburrelli and businessman Rubén De Ycaza. In this way, the conviction for the crime of embezzlement for the irregular handling of funds delivered by the PAN (today the Directorate of Social Assistance) for the purchase of dehydrated food for an amount of $44.9 million is maintained.

The decision was made by judges Ariadne García, Maribel Cornejo, and María Eugenia López.

In the case, the Criminal Chamber also rejected a request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office to increase the prison sentence for Tamburrelli, which remained at 48 months in prison. In the case of Ycaza, the penalty is 96 months in prison.

The investigation began in 2015 following an audit report that revealed anomalies in the awarding of contracts for the acquisition of dehydrated food that would be delivered to public schools through the PAN.

The First Liquidation Court is also carrying out a process against three other people for a second case of embezzlement related to dehydrated foods for an amount of $14.5 million. The trial in this case is set for January 29, 2024.

In both officials. investigations, the Public Ministry stated that the dehydrated food was never delivered to public schools, as planned, and that cost overruns occurred in the contracts assigned by PAN.