Andorran Institute Urges Probe into Spanish Sovereignty Attack in Rajoy Case
IDHA seeks full investigation into alleged Spanish plot using SEPBLAC and FinCEN to pressure BPA for Catalan leaders' data, citing Villarejo and.
Key Points
- IDHA demands investigation of SEPBLAC-FinCEN coordination to extract Catalan independence data from BPA.
- Testimonies from Villarejo, Cinca, and Saboya reveal scheme during 2015 Rajoy Andorra visit.
- Requests scrutiny of Civil Guard's Sánchez Portillo and rogatory commissions for emails, notes, recordings.
- Charges include coercion, blackmail, extortion, and illicit association; magistrate yet to rule.
The Andorran Human Rights Institute (IDHA), acting as a popular accuser in the 'Rajoy case', has filed a detailed submission urging the investigating magistrate to expand the original complaint and launch a formal investigation into alleged attacks on Andorra's sovereignty.
The request follows recent testimonies in the case, including those from retired Spanish police commissioner José Manuel Villarejo, former Andorran ministers Jordi Cinca and Gilbert Saboya. These statements, the IDHA argues, reveal a coordinated effort targeting Banca Privada d'Andorra (BPA) to obtain information on Catalan independence leaders during the height of the movement. At the centre of the alleged scheme is Spain's SEPBLAC, the agency responsible for preventing money laundering, which the IDHA portrays as a pivotal tool in the operation.
The IDHA seeks to convert the preliminary proceedings into a full summary investigation for offences including coercion, conditional threats, blackmail, extortion, coercion of constitutional bodies, creation and use of false documents by officials, and illicit association. It specifically calls for scrutiny of Civil Guard commander Basilio Sánchez Portillo, accused of acting as a link between Spanish institutions and the US Treasury's FinCEN to turn the agency against BPA.
Key timeline elements highlighted include Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's visit to Andorra on 7-8 January 2015 to sign a Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation (CDI). Cinca testified that such agreements typically allow retroactive information exchanges, while Saboya stated the deal contained no such clause. The IDHA wants this discrepancy clarified, noting Spanish requests for fiscal data on Catalan figures predated the signing.
The submission demands extensive documentary evidence via rogatory commissions, including: - SEPBLAC's emails to or from FinCEN, Andorra's UIFAnd, and the National Finance Institute (INAF, now AFA) related to BPA since 2010. - FinCEN communications on BPA or Andorra via the Egmont Group platform. - Villarejo's notes and emails from Spanish intelligence services. - Spanish National Police recordings of meetings arranged by suspect Marcelino Martín Blas with then-BPA CEO Joan Pau Miquel, allegedly showing illegal pressure tactics.
The IDHA contends SEPBLAC's internal bodies—commission, standing committee, plenary—were dominated by figures linked to the accused, facilitating the scheme. Domestic requests target full records from INAF/AFA and UIFAnd on FinCEN exchanges.
The magistrate has yet to rule on admitting the expanded complaint, previously rejected.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: