Francisco González testifies this Friday before the judge investigating the orders from BBVA to Villarejo

MADRID, 15 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The former president of BBVA Francisco González testifies this Friday from 10:30 am before the judge of the National Court (AN) that is investigating the alleged illegal orders that BBVA would have made to the now retired commissioner José Manuel Villarejo.

González asked to give a statement in July, despite the fact that he already appeared on November 18, 2019, arguing that then the investigations were secret and it is now that he had been able to learn of everything investigated. The declaration will finally be held this Friday after having been postponed on several occasions.

The defense explained in his petition that, although in the statement made almost three years ago he answered the questions of the judge and the prosecutor, despite the fact that the case was secret -due to "his strong commitment to collaborate with Justice"- -, at this time, after having made progress in the investigations, it was in the interest of the right of his client to testify again.

González is being investigated for alleged crimes of bribery and disclosure of secrets. The Criminal Chamber lifted its charge for unfair administration, estimating the appeal of the former president of BBVA against the judge's decision to follow the criteria of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, who saw this possible offense in the alleged use of the bank to obtain information about a farm that he was interested in buying privately.

Legal sources have explained to Europa Press that the head of the Central Court of Instruction Number 6 will take a statement before González to three agents of the National Police Corps as investigated.

In recent months, the instructor has focused on the "new facts" that led him to prolong his inquiries, related to the hiring of ANBYCOL, the company of former police officer Antonio Bonilla, indicated by the judicial investigation as one of the collaborators. de Villarejo, which is why he has sat on the defendant's bench in the first trial of the commissioner for his private business.

In relation to the latter, the magistrate heard this Thursday the bank workers Elías Palacios, Belén Rico and Francisco Fernández Prieto. The statement of the first two was requested by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, who considered it essential to listen to the hierarchical superiors of José López, the former BBVA employee who prepared the entity's reports in response to the information requirements of the Executive Service of the Commission of Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses (SEPBLAC).

These "new facts" have come to swell a case where García Castellón examines the BBVA contracts with the Villarejo business group, CENYT, for different projects --presumably illegal-- at least between 2004 and 2017, some work for which the entity would have paid the commissioner more than 10 million euros.