Spanish Prosecutors Demand 3.5 Years In Prison For Ex-Ambassador To Venezuela - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2023) Spain's anti-corruption prosecutor's office is asking for three and a half years in prison for former Spanish ambassador to Venezuela Raul Morodo and eight and a half years for his son, Alejo Morodo, for alleged tax fraud, Spanish media reported on Monday.

A court is investigating the tax fraud committed by Alejo Morodo, who allegedly received about 4.5 million Euros ($4.8 million) from Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA through fake legal advice contracts, the EFE news agency reported.

In addition to imprisonment, the prosecutor's office is demanding Alejo Morodo be fined 3.7 million euros, his wife, Ana Catarina Varandas, 3.8 million euros, and Raul Morodo 378,700 euros, the report added.

In terms of civil liability, the prosecutor has also requested the payment of a total of 1.3 million euros by Alejo Morodo and his wife for fraud in their income tax declarations in 2013, 2014 and 2017, the report said. The former ambassador is required to pay 126,122 euros for alleged fraud in 2014, the news agency noted.

According to the report, Alejo Morodo set up three offshore companies to formally bill legal advice he provided between 2011 and 2014. Thus, he avoided paying personal income tax and instead paid a more favorable corporate tax. The prosecutor claims that Morodo senior and Varandas also participated in these fraud schemes.