US Lawyers Revive FOIA Demand to FinCEN on Andorra Bank Communications

US lawyers who previously advised the former owners of Banca Privada d’Andorra (BPA) have revived a request to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a US Treasury Department agency, demanding full disclosure of any communications it held with Andorran and Spanish authorities over the bank now in liquidation.

The attorneys have filed a new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) petition, seeking all records of exchanges since January 1, 2013, related to BPA, the "cas Pujol," and other matters tied to efforts against rising Catalan independence. They argue that legal processes cited a decade ago to withhold documents—such as ongoing foreign criminal investigations—have long concluded, rendering those exemptions invalid.

"Understand that a similar request was filed more than nine years ago, and in the resulting litigation, the US government claimed confidentiality for a large number of documents based, in part, on the existence of foreign criminal investigations and proceedings. Those matters have long since concluded, and therefore this argument for denying the release of documents is no longer valid," the lawyers stated in their submission to FinCEN. "We expect compliance with the transparency standards required by law and promised by the executive branch."

The request covers any communications—including emails, letters, and faxes—between FinCEN and Andorran government departments, as well as FinCEN discussions involving Spanish officials. It targets figures linked to "Operació Catalunya" or the BPA case, including Andorran officials from 2015: then-Attorney General Alfons Alberca, UIFAnd head Carles Fiñana, and financial supervisor INAF director Maria Cosan. If information on specific individuals is withheld, the lawyers demand explanations.

The original FOIA bid, pursued amid BPA's 2015 intervention, faced denials on grounds of active probes. BPA's former owners sought clarity on FinCEN's role in issuing a notice that contributed to the bank's collapse. Authorities have not yet responded to the renewed demand.