The Erial case finally allowed the Valencia Injunction Court to confiscate 5.4 million in cash or “deposit and wire transfers”, 16 properties and 7 luxury cars belonging to some of the 15 defendants and five companies under investigation. , according to the instructions for the opening of the oral hearing issued on October 7.
The Erial case investigates allegations that Eduardo Zaplana (1995-2002) was bribed in the tender for the Valencia Community Wind Energy Plan, which was promoted during the Generalitat presidency, and in the privatization of technical vehicle inspections (ITV). Next to him, the so-called front of the former minister, Joaquín Barceló “Pachano” and Francisco Grau will sit on the bench, in addition to the five commercial companies created by both as legal inspectors; Juan Francisco García and Mitsouko Henriquez, Zaplana’s former chief of staff and secretary; In addition to former popular MP Elvira Suanzes and her brother, three members of the Cotino family who allegedly paid bribes in exchange for trial; José Luis Olivas, former president of Generalitat, and five businessmen.
The trial could be held at the end of 2023 or 2024, but the date has not yet been set, as it remains to be known in which section of the Valencia Court the Erial case will fall.
However, the 8th Investigation Court attributes the seizure of 12 investigation (5.2 million) bank accounts, as well as 245,915 euros in cash, which were intercepted during the searches made during the investigation of the Erial case, prior to the hearing.
“Pachano”, the worst unemployed
Of the 15 surveyed, Joaquín Barceló “Pachano”, alleged frontman, is in the worst shape due to the large number of seized properties and money in bank accounts. Barceló is a friend of Zaplana’s youth and a member of Peña Picarol in Benidorm. He was the general manager in the field of tourism and was the corporate relations manager of Terra Mitica. Barceló is the sole manager and “an important part of his business network”, used to smuggle money (where he owns four Panamanian companies) to Andorra and return it to Spain via merchants from Luxembourg, the country where Cotino bribed. Costera del Glorio, Medlevante or Gesdesarrollos Integrales. These companies were used for real estate investments in the Marina or in the elite La Finca urbanization in Madrid.
As regards Barceló, the Investigation Court 8 ordered the confiscation of 417,506.47 euros deposited in various investment funds, pension plans and checking accounts, and 54,000 euros seized at his home when he was arrested. His wife, who ultimately appeared as a profit-only beneficiary in the case, also saw accounts for 121,076 euros confiscated.
In addition, seven other companies managed by Barceló (Costera del Glorio, Gesdesarrollos Integrales, Medlevante or Plan Partial 15 Antoneta) also blocked another 1,369.89.55 euros. Likewise, 8 properties were seized in the name of Pachano and his merchants in Benidorm, Polop, La Vila Joiosa and Jumilla. Investigators suspect that some properties on behalf of companies like Medlevante and Gesdesarrollos Integrales actually belonged to Zaplana, but it was his colleague Joaquín Barceló from Peña Picarol who guarded and managed them. Barceló also lost the usufruct of a Land Rover and a BMWX3 (on behalf of Coserera del Glorio) temporarily used by the Civil Guard since 14 January 2019.
Juan Francisco García Gómez was Zaplana’s chief of staff from 1995 to 2002. He chaired the Inter-ministerial Commission for the Rationalization of the Public Sector, which privatized the technical inspections (ITV) of vehicles whose decision was questionable. The former chief of staff also saw 1,889,472.23 euros fluctuate in pension plans, mutual funds and mortgage loans, in addition to the 6,169.45 euros his company Dobles Figuras Consultores holds in an account. The judge also confiscated a Volvo S80 from García.
financial engineer
Another of Zaplana’s alleged extras, Francisco Grau, is the third person most likely to be seized and investigated. Grau Jornet, a lawyer, tax consultant, economist and professor of financial economics, was a member of the Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo (CAM) control committee and a representative of Terra Mítica. He is considered the “architect of financial engineering”, created to hide the bribes collected and launder the money obtained. From him and his wife, a for-profit beneficiary, justice confiscated 812,417,03 Euros.
Finally, 156,337.23 were seized in the bank accounts of four members of Juan Cotino’s family.