Spanish High Court Judge Orders Inquiry into Missing €21.8 Million in Fuel Fraud Case Linked to Portugal
Judge Santiago Pedraz of Spain's National High Court has issued a new European Investigation Order (EIO) to Portuguese authorities to trace approximately €21.8 million in missing funds. This action is part of an ongoing judicial investigation into a tax fraud and money laundering network operating within the hydrocarbons sector. Investigators believe that a total of €78,318,349.48 was transferred from Spanish bank accounts, primarily from Villafuel, the network's main trading firm, to financial institutions in Portugal. However, Portuguese authorities have only accounted for €56,525,664.74, leaving a significant discrepancy. The Civil Guard identifies Claudio Rivas Ruiz-Capillas, Víctor de Aldama, and María Luisa Rivas Ruiz-Capillas as key figures in this enterprise, with Villafuel serving as the operational hub in Spain. The organization allegedly established two tiers: one for executing VAT fraud in the fuel sector and another for laundering and concealing illicit proceeds. The total financial loss to th...
