Contradictory operations revealed in court in the Anfi del Mar robbery

First session in Las Palmas for the trial over the dispute in the Anfi Group: it has taken an unexpected turn with the last-minute presentation of a contract that could change the course of the accusations. Andrés Fermoso, from Lopesan, who is involved in the operation to assault Anfi del Mar, was due to testify but did not attend the hearing. Manuel Fernández González, Arturo Ramírez González and Manuel Santana Cazorla were present before the judge on Wednesday.

Manuel Santana Cazorla is in the dock for alleged irregularities in the management of Anfi. The prosecution accuses one of the Santana brothers of having benefited at the expense of the company, while the defence maintains that all the operations carried out were legal. At the centre of the controversy is a multi-million euro compensation awarded to a former director, the justification of which has been one of the key points of the trial. The figure of Manuel Fernández González (former number two of the PP in the Canary Islands), former director and advisor of Anfi, has been especially relevant, as he has been accused of receiving an excessive payment in exchange for favouring the interests of Lopesan.

One of the Santana Cazorla brothers, Manuel, along with other senior officials at Anfi, are facing accusations of unfair administration by the Public Prosecutor's Office, which accuses them of causing economic damage to the company of more than 780.000 euros. However, during the oral hearing, the defense presented a contract that, according to them, justifies one of the main accusations: a multi-million euro compensation to a former director.

This contract, which had not been previously presented, has generated a great deal of controversy. The Public Prosecutor's Office has called it "false" and has warned that it could file a complaint for falsification of documents. For their part, witnesses have offered contradictory testimony about the existence and validity of this document.

The case has revealed the complex struggle for control of Anfi following the entry of Lopesan into the shareholding. Santiago Santana Cazorla, brother of the accused and a minority shareholder, has brought a popular action against his brothers and the other accused. The Court of Las Palmas must now decide whether the contract presented by the defence is valid and whether the accusations of unfair administration are justified. The trial, which has been marked by the presentation of new evidence at the last minute, will continue in the coming days.