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Money laundering scheme dismantled in Equatorial Guinea
The Spanish Tax Agency, the Portuguese Judicial Police and Europol have dismantled a scheme that is believed to have laundered more than ten million euros from public works in Equatorial Guinea, from Majorca.
© Lusa
Mundo Obras
According to a press release issued today by the Spanish Tax Agency, eight people have been charged with money laundering and tax fraud, with two of them being arrested, including a Dutch citizen, who is considered the ringleader.
In addition, 11 properties valued at five million euros have been seized, as well as bank accounts, vehicles, watches and other assets valued at more than 550,000 euros.
Operation "run out" originated in 2021 with an investigation in Portugal related to the activity in Equatorial Guinea of a Portuguese construction company and the possible diversion of "bribes" to the personal assets of those investigated.
Customs surveillance carried out its investigation on the alleged organizer of the scheme, finding "serious evidence" of concealment of funds of criminal origin in properties in Spain through the use of shell companies and instruments.
The search of the Dutch citizen's home in 2022 allowed access to 13,000 paper documents and 43 electronic devices, with nine bank accounts being frozen (with a balance of 200,000 euros), and three vehicles (valued at more than 100,000 euros), 15 high-end watches (valued at 150,000 euros) and the ownership of the lifetime use rights of a golf club (valued at 100,000 euros) being seized.
The sale of 11 properties seized in Mallorca and several companies was also prohibited.
With this documentation, it was possible to find evidence "of a criminal conspiracy" through invoices issued by shell companies, false contracts and evidence of the diversion of "bribes" of 10% of the value of public works in Equatorial Guinea, as well as its subsequent laundering through a business network, an asset that was controlled by the organizer of the conspiracy.
The scheme had created a complex international business structure to channel these illegal commissions - with companies in Cape Verde, Liechtenstein, Cyprus and Belize - which transferred the funds to investments controlled by the organizer.
The structure was led by a partner in Liechtenstein, on whom another partner controlled by the Dutch citizen depended.
A significant part of the diverted funds had been hidden in investments in a real estate developer in Palma de Mallorca and another part had been invested in the Netherlands through shell companies to hide investments in a well-known brand of cosmetic products, worth more than seven million euros, among other businesses.
Read Also: Equatorial Guinea restricts freedom and maintains arbitrary detentions (Portuguese version)
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