76-Year-Old Basque Businessman on Trial for Death Threats Against Ex-Business Partner

A 76-year-old Basque businessman faced trial at the Tribunal de Corts on Thursday, accused of repeatedly issuing death threats against his former business partner, who was also the ex-husband of the defendant's niece and the company's secretary general.

Prosecutors requested a one-year suspended prison sentence with a four-year suspension period, along with payment of court costs, for the aggravated offense. The defense sought acquittal, maintaining that the incident was a private clash lacking evidence of threats, much less repeated ones. The complainant pursued no civil claims for damages.

The confrontation unfolded on 2 November 2021 during a company board meeting, fueled by tensions over management decisions, dividend payouts, and the niece's divorce from the complainant. A session meant to handle routine corporate issues descended into insults, physical scuffles, and shoves.

The complainant described the defendant approaching within 20 centimetres, delivering insults, attempting punches, and threatening to kill him multiple times. "He stood up, got in my face, insulted me and threatened to kill me," he testified, noting that he pushed the defendant away in self-defense, causing him to stumble into furniture. The notary present stepped in to de-escalate.

The defendant denied any death threats, framing the episode as a mutual verbal spat that briefly turned physical, restrained by two lawyers—one for the company and another attending solely for that meeting. "There were words; I think I insulted him, and that's it," he said. He speculated that without the lawyers, "I don't know what might have happened" and linked the dispute's roots to the divorce, portraying the complainant as a non-operational passive investor.

Both parties agreed the meeting minutes were prepared and signed without mentioning the incident, despite being asked if they wanted to record anything. The defense stressed this gap, plus the complaint's filing months later—aligning with the complainant's removal from the board—as eroding its reliability.

The lawyers, the sole direct witnesses, described an unusually heated atmosphere but recalled few precise words. One had previously indicated a threat might have been uttered.

Prior company disputes had reached the courts, with the complainant viewing the defendant as intolerant of dissent. The defendant recalled an earlier amicable, family-like bond that frayed after the split. During his testimony, he outlined his career in football and later real estate promotions in Andorra.

The tribunal heard the conflicting accounts and closed the case for sentencing, which will decide whether repeated death threats occurred amid this mix of business and family discord.