Andbank Used Fake Transfers to Launder Cash in Pujol Scandal

Businesspeople caught up in the Spanish police investigation into the Pujol family scandal have described a pattern of apparent banking errors at Andbank that investigators now view as a deliberate method to launder large cash deposits.

According to sources familiar with affected Andbank clients, the bank—formerly known as Banca Reig—allegedly used this technique during the 1980s, 1990s, and into the early 2000s, when substantial cash movements were common. When a high-profile client deposited significant amounts of cash, bank staff would randomly select other clients' accounts and credit them with portions of the funds. This created the illusion of a mistaken transfer. The recipients' accounts would then promptly receive counter-transfers from the true beneficiary's account, effectively fragmenting the cash into digitized bank balances.

In account statements, these appeared as routine inter-account shifts rather than large cash inflows, sources said. The method shielded prominent clients from scrutiny while distributing risk across less prominent accounts. It was not limited to the Pujol case or any single banker but formed a repeated, systemic practice, the sources added.

The mechanism surfaced during the Pujol trial, where several business owners testified. More had been questioned earlier by Spain's National Police, who were probing alleged commissions received by members of the family of former Catalan president Jordi Pujol. Some of those funds had flowed into Andorra, landing at what is now Andbank.

Witnesses recounted receiving unexplained credits, prompting them to seek clarification from the bank. Staff attributed the movements to errors, and the matter was resolved without further issue—at least until police inquiries arose. Once explanations were provided, most of these individuals were cleared and not pursued at trial.

The businesspeople emphasized they had no prior suspicion of involvement in illicit activity and were relieved after clarifying the transactions with authorities. Neither Andbank nor those involved have publicly commented on the allegations.