Since this Monday, the National Court is trying the former Spanish ambassador in Caracas Raúl Morodo for the alleged tax fraud on the profits of almost 4.5 million euros that his son Alejo obtained thanks to his business with the company Venezuelan national oil company PDVSA between 2013 and 2014.
The diplomat risks a sentence of three and a half years in prison and a fine of 378,700 euros for crimes against the public treasury. In its indictment, to which Europa Press had access, the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office demands 8 years and 6 months for both Alejo Morodo and his wife, as well as fines of around 4 million euros each.
Regarding civil responsibilities, prosecutor Ana Cuenca emphasizes that Alejo Morodo and his wife should be ordered to jointly compensate the Public Treasury in the amount of 617,442 euros for the fraud of the 2013 financial year; Alejo Morodo with 315,273 euros for 2014; Raúl Morodo with 126,222 euros for 2014; and Ana Catarina Varandas with 435,970 euros for the 2017 fraud.
In this sense, the Prosecutor’s Office emphasizes that it was between 2007 and 2015 that Alejo Morodo would have concentrated his “professional activity on the alleged provision of legal advice and international consulting services”, which would have generated “significant income” . .
Anti-corruption explains that Alejo Morodo used “the relationships established by his father with senior officials in Venezuela during the years 2004 to 2007, during which he was ambassador of Spain” to initiate “an alleged contractual relationship with the “Venezuelan public company PDVSA”. for the provision of legal advisory and international consultancy services until 2014.”
“In order to defraud the Spanish Public Treasury, aware that the imposition of these incomes through the Personal Income Tax (IRPF) would entail a considerable financial expense, it decided to introduce three instrumental companies to formally invoice” these so-called services, thus avoiding paying personal income tax on their income in order to do so with the lower tax rate offered by the Corporate Tax”, asserts the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In “the execution of this illicit action”, indicates Anticorruption, “Ana Varandas and Raúl Morodo participated”. In the case of the former ambassador, adds the prosecution, “he also hid from the Public Treasury the profits he made from the assets of two of these companies.”
Lawyers demand seven years in prison
The Public Prosecutor’s Office, in its indictment, to which Europa Press had access, requests that Alejo Morodo be sentenced to 4 years in prison for an offense against the Public Treasury for personal income tax for year 2013 and 3 years and 6 months in prison for an offense of the same type in respect of personal income tax for the 2014 financial year.
In this sense, he requests that Varandas be sentenced to 4 years in prison for an offense against the Public Treasury for personal income tax for the year 2013 and to 3 years in prison for an offense of the same type in relationship with personal income tax for the year 2013. year 2017. Finally, he requests that Raúl Morodo be sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison for offense against the Public Treasury in respect of personal income tax the income of individuals for the 2014 financial year.
The far-right union Clean Hands, which filed the complaint, is considering tougher sanctions. Thus, he requested that Alejo Morodo be sentenced to 18 years and 6 months in prison for one offense of criminal organization, one offense of money laundering and two against the Public Treasury.
Furthermore, in the brief prepared by the legal representation of Manos Liminas, it is requested that Varandas faces a sentence of 12 years and 6 months for the same crimes. As for Raúl Morodo, a sentence of 9 years and 6 months is for the crime of criminal organization, another for money laundering and one against the Public Treasury.
Clean Hands is also asking that they be ordered to compensate the State Treasury for the same amount requested by the State Attorney’s Office.
For its part, the tax authorities, also appearing as accusers, are interested in the sentence of 2 years and 8 months in prison handed down against the former ambassador for offenses against the public treasury in respect of personal income tax. for the 2014 financial year.
For Alejo Morodo, he asks for 4 years in prison for the 2013 financial year, and 3 years and 6 months for the 2014 financial year; while his wife is interested in 4 years of personal income tax for 2013, and 3 years in prison for offenses against the Public Treasury for personal income tax for the year 2017.
