The European Public Prosecutor's Office focuses on Aldama for the alleged laundering of 27.9 million from hydrocarbon fraud

The investigation into the so-called hydrocarbons case once again places Víctor de Aldama at the center of the scene. The European Public Prosecutor's Office maintains that the businessman and others involved would have participated in a circuit aimed at diverting and subsequently laundering 27.9 million euros linked to alleged VAT fraud in the fuel sector, according to the latest information published by El País and El Plural among other media. The investigated events would date back to the period between 2022 and 2024.

According to the known information about the investigations, several Spanish companies related to fuel trade would have resorted to shell companies located in Portugal to channel payments. The objective, according to the investigators' hypothesis, would have been to conceal operations subject to VAT and then ensure that part of the amounts obtained returned to the hands of those involved.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office would have identified up to four Spanish companies —Salamanca Fuel, Canary Island, Casmar Hidrocarburos and Obaoil 3000— that made money movements to Portuguese bank entities. The investigations suggest that these transfers were related to fictitious companies used to simulate payments for fuel supplies. Among the Portuguese companies singled out is Atmosferaudaz, linked to Aldama and also detected in the Civil Guard investigations.

The European body describes the mechanism as that used by "a group of Spanish fuel trading companies", which would have resorted to "Portuguese front companies to make alleged payments for fuels" with the purpose of subsequently obtaining "the return of the illegitimate profits generated to accounts in Spain". Along with Aldama, the names of Nuno Miguel Santos, José Manuel Recio and Juan Catalán appear in the investigation.

The money would have ended up distributed among different countries. Of the 27.9 million euros analyzed, about nine million would have returned to Spain, while another three million would have been sent to the United Kingdom through cryptocurrencies. A similar amount would have ended up distributed among accounts in Poland, France, Belgium, Lithuania, Italy, Germany and Uruguay. Another 13 million would have remained in Portugal, of which 11.8 million would have already been seized by the Portuguese Prosecutor's Office.

The European investigation joins the proceedings already underway by the Audiencia Nacional, where Judge Santiago Pedraz is examining the alleged fraud in the hydrocarbon sector. The Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard places Aldama and his partner Claudio Rivas as alleged leaders of a "criminal organization" that would have obtained a "direct benefit" through an alleged millionaire VAT fraud. Estimates handled in the investigation raise the possible fiscal damage to more than 200 million euros.

The new front opened by the European Public Prosecutor's Office thus broadens the range of accusations against Aldama, including those related to tax fraud, money laundering, influence peddling, and bribery. These are, in any case, facts that remain under investigation and must be judicially proven.