Madrid’s Order Court No. 31 has ordered the case to be transferred to the County Court as part of a long-running inquiry into the wealth of the former government vice president, Rodrigo Rato. After seven years of investigative work, the process has accumulated more than 70,000 documents, illustrating the scale of the proceedings.
According to a note from the Madrid Supreme Court of Justice, the tribunal will convene with the 17th judge assigned to the case. The concerns involve alleged money laundering, corruption, and tax offenses between private parties, with the court preparing to examine the array of charges facing the defendant and others connected to the matter.
While the court awaits the investigation of the assets held by the individuals under scrutiny, any legal responsibility tied to those implicated continues to move forward. The note emphasizes that the actions under review are proceeding within the bounds of the law and that financial accountability will be determined through the judicial process.
Back in March 2021, Antonio Serrano Arnal, who was then head of the court, decided to pursue charges against Rodrigo Rato along with 16 other individuals and entities. The accusations included commercial corruption, suspected money laundering, and possible tax evasion, signaling a broad scope for the inquiry and the potential for multiple legal outcomes.
The Madrid Court now faces the question of whether Rato will be prosecuted as the author of several offenses spanning 2005 to 2015. The alleged acts include a series of money laundering incidents and a separate corruption offense involving private parties in relation to advertising campaigns tied to Zenith and Publicis during Rato’s leadership of the organization. The courtroom is expected to scrutinize complex financial arrangements and the roles played by various entities involved in those campaigns.
Prosecutors claim that between 2005 and 2015, apart from unreported foreign movable capital revenues, there was a substantial increase in capital totaling 15.6 million euros, alongside 7.4 million euros allegedly defrauded from the Corporate Tax. These figures are set against an even larger framework of tax-related concerns that the court must assess in light of the broader corporate activity at the time.
Additionally, the authorities point to professional services taxed through companies, arguing that the defrauded installments could climb to 8.5 million euros when considering all components of the case. The prosecution contends that the sums were not properly disclosed to the treasury, creating a substantial question of fiscal responsibility that the court must resolve through due process and testimony.
There is also a reference to controversial commissions linked to advertising contracts connected with mergers and initial public offerings involving Publicis and Zenith. It is alleged that some commissions originated from diverse companies that sought to obscure the true source of funds, adding another layer of complexity to the inquiries into how money moved through the consulting and advertising networks associated with the case.
Among the named individuals and associates are Miguel Ángel Montero, a former director linked to multiple companies tied to Rato; Ramiro Sánchez de Lerín, who previously served as secretary general at Telefónica; and other figures who are facing tax-related accusations. The proceedings also involve matters of money laundering, with connections noted to relatives and close associates of those named in the case, underscoring the breadth and interconnected nature of the allegations.
The ongoing legal process will determine the extent of accountability for the parties involved, including whether any charges will be pursued against accomplices and what form of penalties or settlements may emerge. The court’s task is to parse a dense web of financial transactions over a decade, separating legitimate business activities from activities deemed to be unlawful or improperly concealed from tax authorities. The outcome will depend on the evaluation of records, contracts, and financial flows that have been scrutinized throughout the investigation. The case remains a focal point for discussions about governance, accountability, and compliance within Spain’s financial and political spheres. (Source: Madrid Supreme Court of Justice)