Andorra Court Grants Prosecutors Extension to Oct 2026 in BPA Case Appeals

Andorra's Superior Court Criminal Chamber has granted prosecutors until 30 October 2026 to respond to 13 appeals filed by defendants in the main BPA case, citing the proceedings' extraordinary complexity and the need to assess new developments from Spain's 'Emperador' case.

Prosecutor Borja Aguado requested the extension in mid-May, about 1.5 months before the original 30 June deadline. No objections were raised by defense teams, the government, or the Andorran Financial Intelligence Unit (AREB). The court approved it as a one-off exceptional step to ensure procedural equality, following prior extensions for appellants to submit their challenges.

The first-instance Corts Court judgment spans 6,180 pages and convicted 18 of 24 defendants, with six acquittals. Sentences totalled 84 years in prison—29 firm and 55 conditional—plus fines reaching €30 million. Former BPA CEO Joan Pau Miquel received the heaviest term of seven years firm after 22 months in pre-trial detention. All 18 convicts plus one acquitted party appealed, generating around 2,000 pages of detailed arguments with intricate review grounds. Some submissions exceed 300 pages each.

Judges described the case's "exceptional factual circumstances," pointing to the judgment's volume, number of convicts, and appeals' sophistication. Responding demands far more time than filing, they said, especially given earlier leeway for defenses until early December.

A pivotal element is Spain's recent plea bargains in the 'Emperador' case, central to BPA's intervention alongside a US FinCEN notice and Miquel's arrest. Spanish anti-corruption authorities secured lenient penalties for 72 of over 100 suspects, including Rafael Pallardó, a key figure in accusations against BPA executives. A related sentence stemming from those deals is due for notification on 23 May. Defenses are likely to submit it as fresh evidence, requiring prosecutors to evaluate its bearing on the Andorran proceedings.