The AN allows Monedero to have access to all the documentation of the case in which Podemos was investigated

It revokes the resolution of magistrate Manuel García-Castellón because it would render the defendant defenseless in the new case opened for alleged money laundering

MADRID, 19 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Criminal Chamber of the National Court has agreed with the founder of Podemos Juan Carlos Monedero and has agreed that the examining magistrate Manuel García-Castellón give him access to all the proceedings in the case in which Podemos was investigated -- already archived-- and that has served as the basis to open a new case against him. The Chamber considers that, otherwise, he is in "a clear defenseless situation".

In an order of January 18, to which Europa Press has had access, the Chamber explains that, since there is no current summary secrecy, the legal representation of Monedero "must, like any other party, be allowed access to all the proceedings in the itself, and be notified of all resolutions relapsed in it, if they had not been previously".

And it adds that with regard to the actions and proceedings subject to purgation in that case, "if this has not been consummated, access must also be allowed, with the limitations and precautions" established by the Chamber, that is, that they be reviewed by the defense in the judicial office.

In this way, the Third Section accepts the thesis of the defense of the university professor, to whom the head of the Central Court of Instruction number 6 opened a case in June 2022 to investigate transfers between his company, Caja de Resistencia Motiva 2 Producciones SL, with the company VIU Europa and Banco del Alba for preparing an advisory report on the financial spheres of the Alba countries.

Monedero, in October, sent a letter to the court in which he asked the investigator to access the whole of the case from which the new investigation demanded, denouncing that he had not yet been able to see key material for his imputation, such as the statements of the former head of Venezuelan Intelligence Hugo 'El Pollo' Carvajal or police reports, which would give him "absolute defenselessness".

The co-founder of Podemos explained that once he had been able to access the digital platform where all the proceedings in the case filed regarding the financing of Podemos should be recorded, he realized that this was not the case because there were documents mentioned by the magistrate in his resolutions. they were not available.

Specifically, it drew attention to two things. On the one hand, the report prepared by the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) on which the instructor would have relied to separate these investigations from those archived --by order of the Criminal Chamber-- on the alleged illegal financing of Podemos through Venezuela and Cuba, a case that was reopened as a result of Carvajal's statements and papers.

Secondly, it highlighted the absence on said platform of the judicial statement given on October 27, 2021 by 'El Pollo' before García Castellón in the framework of the aforementioned case on the 'purple' accounts. But the magistrate rejected his request, so the investigated professor appealed the decision.

Now, the Chamber says that "obviously" this lack of access means that the person being investigated "lacks information" even to be able to make allegations, for which reason he is left "in a clear situation of defenselessness" before the decision that is going to be adopted by the instructor on the material content of the procedure.

Thus, contrary to what was decided by García-Castellón, he revokes the magistrate's decision and orders that his court proceed to allow Monedero to have access to the proceedings, including the proceedings subject to expungement, as long as they have not already been eliminated.