The hearing confirms that it does not see the money laundering for which Pina was arrested in the ‘Libero operation’

The Criminal Chamber of the National Court has confirmed the unblocking of the companies of the historic soccer player agent Quique Pina not noticing signs of money laundering. The Fourth Section has endorsed the decision adopted by Judge Santiago Pedraz last January and has rejected the arguments of the appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor.

In this way, it endorses the order issued by the head of the Court of Instruction number 5, which released, among others, the company Cramp, with which Pina owns an important package of shares of Cádiz, CF, through the entity Locos por el balán. The measure also affected the Quique Sport company, despite the fact that the Public Ministry maintains that they were used to commit crimes of tax fraud or concealment of assets.

The decision of the Court also confirms that no evidence of crime has been found in the family environment of Pina, who was arrested and imprisoned within the framework of the so-called ‘Operation Libero’, promoted by the Public Ministry. The instructor noted that “already well advanced the instruction is in a position to dissipate the link of the companies” of the agent, an extreme that is now ratified by the National High Court, which deflates the cause in this way.

It should be remembered that the ‘Operation Libero’, which was launched in 2018, focused on an alleged money laundering plot starring Pina. Likewise, he attributed to him the commission of crimes against the public treasury that are still being investigated. The Court now emphasizes that in order to maintain precautionary measures such as the blockade of companies, it is necessary “that there are necessary indications of criminality”. In this case, he stresses, “they do not attend” and, therefore, “it will not be possible to continue with their maintenance.” Thus, he adds that “precautionary measures cannot be maintained based on data that does not exist.”

Judge Pedraz At the same time, it agreed to the expulsion of Cdiz, CF, as an accusation in the judicial proceeding, since it has not been proven that some of the operations carried out by Pina harmed the entity of which it is a shareholder. The Court also keeps the typesetter entity out of the case.