The Madrid court is preparing to hear the case against the producer and partner of the renowned dancer Rafael Amargo. The proceedings are set to begin this week, with prosecutors alleging the involvement of a drug network centered around methamphetamine. The authorities claim the drugs were distributed from the artist’s apartment. Court sources indicate a potential sentence of nine years in prison for Amargo, based on the prosecution’s charges.
The hearing is schedule to run on assessments dated 7, 8, 9 and 12 June. In Madrid’s 30th Court Proceedings, the case includes producer Eduardo de los Santos and another associate, Miguel Ángel Batista León, alongside Amargo.
Expected on Wednesday are testimonies from the defendants and three police officers. On the 8th, a total of 33 witnesses are anticipated, most of them law enforcement officers, although a few experts may be called. On the 9th, the court will review wiretaps, and on the 12th, documentary evidence and final reports are expected to be presented.
Some legal sources indicated to EFE that the oral hearing could be suspended if Eduardo de Santos changes counsel, which could delay the process until the defense rights are clarified. A decision on this point will rest with the chamber, according to those sources.
The judge in charge, Juan Ramón Reig, initially considered charging the three defendants and Lucia Bonginiano, Amargo’s wife, with possible offenses against public health and another crime linked to membership in a criminal group. The proceedings, however, did not move forward against Bonginiano without a formal filing by the Prosecutor’s Office.
The court noted that Amargo appeared to lead a group involved in the sale of drugs, with the distribution described as the sale of methamphetamine. It was alleged that the operation used couriers to move the substances from the apartment shared by Amargo and his wife to buyers.
Rafael Amargo was first detained in December of 2020 in connection with these events and was later released on parole as the case continued. He faced a subsequent detention in March of the following year in Alicante, accused of continuing to traffic drugs and of resisting officers during a prior arrest; he was released on the grounds of the charges at that time.
During the trial, prosecutors sought a nine-year sentence for Amargo for what they described as persistent drug distribution at his home. A similar term was requested for Eduardo de Santos, who was alleged to have worked in collaboration with Amargo in purchasing and distributing the drugs, with prosecutors pointing to the quantities found at their residences. The request also included six years for Batista, described as a trusted associate who allegedly delivered the drugs to buyers.
Amargo’s defense, led by attorney Jaime Caballero, argues that the artist did not sell drugs but used them. The defense contends that the charges are unfounded and that the claims should be proven in court. Caballero also noted the ongoing changes in legal representation for the artist, expressing a desire to resolve the matter promptly and bring this chapter to a close.
At a relevant moment in the proceedings, the Madrid High Court of Justice rejected a request from the press to publish online coverage, deciding instead that journalists could film at the opening of the trial and then provide follow-up reporting as the hearing progressed, in line with the court’s assessment of the parties’ arguments and the need for public access to the trial.
As the case unfolds, observers will watch the testimonies, the presentation of wiretaps and documents, and the final determinations by the court. The outcome will hinge on the credibility of witnesses, the interpretation of the evidence, and the prosecution’s portrayal of a coordinated network operating within one residence. The proceedings continue to attract attention in Spain and beyond, given the public profile of Amargo and the broader implications for public health and organized crime statutes in the country. [citation attributed to judicial records and EFE reporting].