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

The magistrate will listen a day before to three bank workers, the last steps before ending the investigation

MADRID, 11 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The former president of BBVA Francisco González will testify this Friday 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, which will foreseeably be the last procedure in this separate piece of the macrocause 'Tandem'.

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.

Legal sources explained to Europa Press that the intention of the investigators is that González's statement was the last before the head of the Central Investigating Court Number 6, Manuel García Castellón, shelved the investigation phase.

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.

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 will hear 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.