Andorran Security Exec Jailed 4.5 Years for €3M Basque Aid Fraud

The Bilbao Provincial Court has sentenced the director and minority shareholder of Andorra's leading private security group to four years and six months in prison for misappropriation, along with a fine of around €8,000. The conviction stems from events over 15 years ago unrelated to his current role in the Andorran firm.

The case involves DYA Bizkaia, a Basque roadside assistance association that the court's president and his Catalan associate—a resident of Andorra—stripped of nearly €3 million through a network of companies. Funds were diverted via multiple bank transfers to entities including Emergencias Plus and Ambulàncies Barcelona, where both men served as administrators. The former DYA president also received an additional one-year sentence for accounting fraud.

The court ruled the actions constituted qualified misappropriation due to the amount exceeding €250,000, describing them as a "predatory scheme" far beyond legitimate management. The men controlled DYA Bizkaia's expansion to Barcelona and had full authority over Emergencias Plus, enabling them to siphon funds to companies beyond the association's reach.

Judges imposed sentences at the lower end of Spain's penal code range, citing the time elapsed since the early 2000s offenses. Prosecutors, DYA Bizkaia, and liquidators of Emergencias Plus had sought harsher penalties for disloyal administration, estimating damages up to €5 million, but the court opted for misappropriation after a detailed 30-page analysis.

The pair must jointly compensate DYA Bizkaia €2.9 million, with the Andorran resident liable for €2.24 million. They face passive suffrage ineligibility during their sentences but no further professional bans as requested by private prosecutors.

The ruling, which the defence sought to overturn by arguing no crime occurred, can be appealed to the Basque Country's Superior Court of Justice.

The Andorran executive, with a background in ambulance services, once led a joint venture with local entrepreneurs that initially won Andorra's penultimate sanitary transport tender but withdrew before starting due to miscalculations. The contract went to the runner-up, who retained it after a follow-up process.