Light and stenographers filled the room this Wednesday, marking another day of disclosures inside the media atrium vault four at the Cáceres Magistrate’s Court. Relais & Chateaux owners exited a black Mercedes that placed them at the courthouse door in the morning. Jose Polo and Toño Pérez appeared as witnesses at the judge’s request, Aida María de la Cruz de la Torre, and after the defense for those charged in the restaurant robbery case had requested, Sylvia Córdoba Moreno asked for her client.
One wore a shirt, the other a polo. Jose and Toño came to the courthouse with calm expressions. A crowd of photographers and reporters trailed them as Atrio’s owners moved directly to the building’s third floor, where the court had scheduled their statements for 10:00. The insured entity based in Zafra, along with the restaurant managers, stood in a clockwise arrangement near the courtroom.
The statements proceeded behind closed doors in Trial Hall No. 3, where two individuals accused of theft were questioned on August 4. Mexican model Priscila Lara Guevara and Constantin Gabriel Dumitru reportedly have prior issues related to wine theft. They will be tried and face imprisonment for allegedly stealing a bottle of whiskey valued at 6,000 euros from a Madrid liquor store in the Salamanca district on October 18.
What punishment could the defendants face?
Two individuals charged in the Atrio robbery are accused of forcible theft as described under Article 241 of the Penal Code. The case falls under subsection 4 of this article. It states that when the acts are especially serious, depending on how the crime was committed or the damage caused, a prison term of two to six years can be imposed, provided the conditions in Article 235 are met. The court still must determine the liability and the amount of compensation the insurer will seek for the wines’ value.
Regarding the parties, the public prosecutor has requested a conviction. At this time, it is not clear how much the insurer will claim, a matter raised this Wednesday and presented as a private prosecution. The defense maintains the defendants’ innocence.
From a black Mercedes that had deposited Atrio’s owners at the courthouse doors, Jose Polo and Toño Pérez appeared as witnesses at the instruction of judge Aida María de la Cruz de la Torre and Relais & Chateaux’s defense attorney in the case of the millionaire robbery. Sylvia Córdoba Moreno was present on behalf of the defense.
Jose and Toño wore different shirts and showed composed demeanors as they arrived at the courthouse. The photographers and reporters followed closely as they headed to the building’s third floor where the court had placed them at 10:00. The same insurer, based in Zafra, stood nearby as the proceedings continued.
The statements were conducted behind closed doors in Trial Hall 3 on August 4, where the two defendants in the theft case stood. The case also involves Priscila Lara Guevara and Constantin Gabriel Dumitru, who have a separate history of wine theft. They are scheduled to be tried for stealing a bottle of whiskey valued at 6,000 euros from a Madrid store in Salamanca on October 18.
“Forgive me, I’m so fair”
The defense attorney for the defendants, Sylvia Córdoba Moreno, arrived at the Palace of Justice from Madrid at 10 a.m. She told reporters that she would deliver a full statement after her remarks, offering a brief apology and promising clarity in the proceeding.
Inside the room, the defense counsel and representatives from the Zafra insurance company presented themselves as private prosecutors. The judge first called Toño Pérez, an internationally known chef, to testify and spent a full hour answering questions from both sides. He left the court at 11:00, declining to speak to the press, and departed by the same Mercedes that had brought him earlier.
The defense contends witnesses could not identify the accused
The judge then summoned Jose Polo to wait in an adjacent room. He testified for an hour and later remarked, “The process is clear and nothing can be said.” The session concluded with the testimony of a hotel reception employee on the day of the robbery, which lasted about 45 minutes.
The defense argued that the statements by Jose Polo and Toño Pérez were anchored to the bottles’ value, especially the unique Chateau D’Yquem copy, the most valuable item in the collection, worth over 300,000 euros. The total value of the 45 stolen bottles was estimated at 1,600,000 euros.
“They defend their history. The history they have created and dramatized. It seems respectable to me”, commented the defense lawyer. After three hours of questioning, he highlighted that the defendants’ attachment to that bottle was a notable point and suggested that the loss had caused significant harm.
“They are very nice”
The lawyer noted the witnesses’ overall cooperative attitude and the rapid pace of the inquiry, describing the three witnesses as providing a wealth of information about the winery and its wines. He added that the witnesses spoke at length because they had been intimately involved in the operations for a long time and shared as many details as possible.
The defense emphasized that none of the witnesses could definitively identify the two suspects as the perpetrators. An identity parade, the lawyer argued, would have been impractical given the heavy media presence surrounding the case in recent weeks. He concluded that such a parade would be unnecessary and potentially unproductive.
The investigation continues. More hotel staff are expected to testify on Thursday, with eight additional people called to provide statements. Sylvia Córdoba is set to continue her testimony via video from Madrid. The judge has requested the Atrio wine list from the defense, and the detainees remain in custody while the appeal for their release is reviewed. The case proceeds toward resolution.