Spain’s anti-money laundering unit gave a false lead to Liechtenstein about the investigation into Pujol and Mas

The anti-money laundering unit of the Spanish State, called SExecutive service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses (Sepblac), contributed in 2014 false information at a request from his counterpart Liechtenstein in the context of ongoing investigations Pujol family and the former president of the Generalitat Artur Mas. This was stated this Monday by ‘El Nacional’, which published an email from Sepblac in response to the request for information in which, among others, it stated that Jordi Pujol and his first-born son, Jordi Pujol Ferrusolahave been investigated by the Ministry of Finance since 2013, and that the National Court has had an investigation underway for the two Pujols since a year later.

Liechtenstein requested information about the Pujols and Mas after learning through various public information that both parties could be related to the Brantidge Establishment firm, based in the Central European country.

The request reached the Spanish Administration, then in charge of the Government of Mariano Rajoy, a month after former president Jordi Pujol confessed that he had a bank account in Andorra, and shortly after also a report from the Udef assured that Mas had accounts in Switzerland.

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According to ‘El Nacional’, the response from Sepblac, which depended on the Ministries of Economy and Finance, was false, because it indicated that it had been investigating former President Pujol and his son since 2013, although it had not sent any indication to the Spanish judicial authorities, and because he assured that the Pujol family was the subject of an investigation by the National Court. However, in September 2014, when Sepblac responded, the only case that was open was against Jordi Pujol Ferrusola and his ex-wife, reported by the ex-partner of Pujol’s first-born son, Vicky Álvarez.

In the response, Sepblac highlights the importance of the case, and asks his Liechtenstein counterpart to share any information she can find regarding the two former presidents of the Generalitat. There is no record that Liechtenstein ever found any connection between the two.

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