A figure described as a front man for the former president of the Generalitat, Eduardo Zaplana, was called to testify as a witness by the Constitutional Court. He appeared during the Erial case proceedings, a case that involves the former Labor Minister facing potential prison time for alleged bribes linked to decisions around the Technical Vehicle Inspectorate (ITV) and the Wind Plan. Two individuals alleged to be early supporters in this matter face a sentence of eight years in prison.
The schedule, notified to the parties by the Valencian Court’s fourth chamber before the case hit a standstill caused by Zaplana’s lawyer rejoining the defense, consolidates the order and names of witnesses that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has put forward. It also outlines the positions and defenses of the fifteen defendants involved in the proceedings.
Among those ordered to testify is Enrique Arnaldo Alcubilla, the current judge of the Constitutional Court. He joined the high court in 2021 on the PP’s nomination. The subpoena, however, also lists his former professional entity, Estudios Jurídicos y Procesales SL, indicating that he conducted private legal work from 2002 to 2009, providing services to numerous public administrations, totaling 562 assignments.
This figure is acknowledged in a letter dated 21 April 2010, written by Arnaldo to José Castro, the judge investigating the Palma Arena case, which also involved Jaume Matas, the former president of the Balearic Islands and ex-Minister of the Environment. Matas was later sentenced to 10 months in prison and banned from public office for 10 years for influence peddling, incitement to persistent abuse of office, and fraud against the Administration.
In this article, Arnaldo also references a letter from a Uruguayan trustee, Fernando Belhot, stating that both parties had signed a “framework cooperation agreement” to establish a network of Iberian-American law firms. The letter notes that there is substantial information regarding real estate, tourism, renewable energy, and transportation investment projects that linked his firm with Arnaldo’s firm.
It is explained that Arnaldo relies not only on the efforts and dedication of partners in his office but also on external collaborators to facilitate the transfer of work and projects to investors, some of which were in the negotiation stage at the time. Reports from a Spanish media group linked to a local publication imply potential collaboration involving Jaume Matas with the law firm connected to the Constitutional Court candidate from the PP.
It was Cadena Ser that reported this cooperation arrangement between the current Constitutional Court judge, Enrique Arnaldo, and the Uruguayan attorney Fernando Belhot, with the aim of sharing clients across Spain, Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay. The contract, signed in 2009, marked the start of Belhot’s professional relationship with Eduardo Zaplana, a connection that factors into the broader examination of ties among political figures and legal professionals in this case.
The subpoena of Arnaldo, issued by Francisco Grau, who has been described as a front man for Zaplana, would serve to scrutinize a potential business relationship between Belhot and the former head of the Generalitat. This relationship had been cited by the former minister as a matter of concern, with assertions about its possible influence on decision-making and business interests linked to the case.
Authorities observed that Fernando Belhot delivered a total of 6,734,026.1 euros to the investigators handling the Erial case. The money, they allege, belonged to Eduardo Zaplana. Following the receipt of these funds, the 8th Investigation Court and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office released the former minister from custody on 7 February 2019, citing various procedural considerations in the ongoing inquiry.