In March 2020, as Spain grappled with a rapidly spreading covid-19 outbreak, a troubling financial scheme unfolded from Aragon. Within days, hospitals faced severe shortages of life-saving equipment, including ventilators, while parceling out urgent deals became a crowded battlefield of urgency, leverage, and risk. An incoming business figure in Zaragoza, identified in investigations as a prominent leader among Aragon’s business community, approached suppliers with a bold proposal: import 200 ventilators from Turkey for the regional health service. What appeared to be a straightforward aid gesture quickly revealed itself as a high-stakes misstep. A commission of 91,836 euros was charged for supplies that never fully materialized, and the individual now faces a fraud charge that could lead to four years in prison.
Investigators trace the core of the case to Francisco CO., described as the sole director of Mingta Asian Global Commerce SL, a company registered in the Aragonese capital. The public record outlined a structure that purportedly extended to China, with offices in Ningbo, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, a team of 17 professionals, and a cross-border financial framework. Yet, the case contends that the Spanish company never truly connected with a genuine Chinese conglomerate. The Shenzhen Mingta Import & Export Company Limited, it’s claimed, was not part of the alleged group. The whole arrangement was built on a facade: the defendant used a name and a contract as cover, without real access to the manufacturer. The situation calls into question the veracity of the international ties claimed in the agreement. (Attribution: El Periódico de Aragón.)
Under this pretense, Ricardo Mur — already a former chairman of the Aragonese employers’ association and linked to the CREA Foundation — became a central figure. He is alleged to have directed donations from more than 150 companies, aggregating roughly 5 million euros that were intended for health-related purchases. Prosecutors maintain that the CREA Foundation’s funds were directed toward acquiring medical supplies for health service use. Mur’s communications with the central actor in the alleged fraud included messages describing an operation that relied on first-tier manufacturers in Asia, who would supply the needed items amid the urgent demand. The exchanges, later reviewed in court documents, underscore the pressure-filled context of a health emergency and the temptation to fast-track deals through a single, decisive channel. (Attribution: El Periódico de Aragón.)
On March 28, 2020, a pro forma invoice for 3.3 million dollars was issued, and a transfer was made in short order. The interlocutor assured Mur that everything within their group was guaranteed. Soon after, the money was routed to a Chinese supplier that was supposedly connected to the project. The expectation was straightforward: 200 ACM812 model respirators would be delivered, meeting an urgent hospital need. However, prosecutors and Aragon’s government contend that the Chinese entity that received the funds had no actual link to the defendant and did not have contact with the manufacturer when the transfers were processed. The CREA Foundation was said to be unaware of the actual involvement, which would have changed the nature of the deal entirely. (Attribution: El Periódico de Aragón.)
What actually materialized was a financial bridge built on a false premise. The defendant allegedly accepted commissions of more than 91,000 euros for contracts signed with the CREA Foundation, an arrangement that Mur reportedly did not know about. The partial disclosure suggests that the business relationship was more about personal gain than about delivering essential medical equipment. The unfolding narrative illustrates how, in a crisis, some actors exploit the pressure to procure scarce supplies and extract compensation through opaque channels. (Attribution: El Periódico de Aragón.)
The first significant setback surfaced on April 3rd. Mur claimed that Beijing Aerospace did not deliver the 200 ventilators because the Chinese government blocked such purchases. To cope with the shortfall, Fernando CO proposed sourcing 20 respirators from another supplier. Documents later showed those respirators already at Zaragoza Airport, prepared to depart, but the transaction involved a separate order from a UK-based party and ultimately did not meet the health authority’s approval criteria. The episode highlights how even supplementary orders can become entangled in regulatory and logistical hurdles during a public health emergency. (Attribution: El Periódico de Aragón.)
Yet the story did not end there. Allegedly, acting on behalf of the CREA Foundation and with its funds, the defendant authorized a separate arrangement for 750,000 euros for 30 ventilators. The employer ordered this plan canceled once it learned that the earlier orders were not approved. Instead, a different package of goods was delivered, including six respirators, 100,000 KN95 masks, 200,000 vinyl gloves, and 999,000 nitrile gloves, with a value of about 402,300 dollars. The defense argued that part of the money was blocked by the Chinese government, but investigators maintain that this was not accurate in light of the broader facts of the case. The conclusion includes potential liability for the defendant over the non-return of funds totaling around 1,066,631 dollars or 879,827 euros. (Attribution: El Periódico de Aragón.)
As the court case unfolds, the narrative sheds light on a wider pattern during a time of crisis: the tension between urgent public health procurement needs and the strict controls governing international trade and charitable donations. The episode raises questions about due diligence, the responsibilities of corporate directors, and the consequences of misrepresenting cross-border manufacturing relationships when lives are on the line. (Attribution: El Periódico de Aragón.)