The president of Sidenor defends himself regarding the sale of steel in Israel: "We have not committed any wrongdoing."
José Antonio Jainaga and two other executives testified before the National Court this Wednesday
MadridThe president of the Basque steel company Sidenor, José Antonio Jainaga, and two other executives testified this Wednesday at midday before the National Court regarding an alleged crime of smuggling and complicity in a crime against humanity or genocide for the sale of steel to the Israeli company Israel Mil Systems, the main arms supplier to the Israeli army. This is the first investigation opened in this regard since the beginning of Israel's massacre in Gaza. Following a closed-door hearing that lasted just over an hour, Jainaga maintained that Sidenor did not commit "any irregularity." The president of the steel company demonstrated to the National Court judge that the steel manufactured by Sidenor and exported to Israel "is not among the products subject to special control by the administration." Sidenor maintains that at the time of the sale "there were no restrictions on trade relations" with Israel and that, in any case, sales "were interrupted" in July. Finally, the Basque company argued that it "had not received any restrictions from Spanish or European authorities" regarding the sale of steel in Benjamin Netanyahu's country. In other words, the sale under scrutiny would not be one of the steel sales included on the list of dual-use goods. "Our actions have always been subject to the strictest legality," Jainaga reiterated.
What is being investigated?
The magistrate points out that the steel sale that prompted the investigation, which originated in the port of Barcelona, was allegedly carried out with "full knowledge" that the company IMSI is a manufacturer of both heavy and light weapons, and that the supplied material could be used to manufacture armaments in the context of what is happening in Gaza. In fact, this is the central point for the plaintiffs: "It's not just a purely administrative matter, whether they had authorization [for the sale] or from whom they should have requested it, but whether there is complicity on the part of a Spanish company in the final stages of the genocide in Gaza or crimes against humanity," because of the material. "We believe that [the investigation] is a key milestone because it sends a very strong message to companies: it's not enough to simply profit from the genocide in Gaza," said lawyer David Aranda, who represents the Palestinian Community Association of Catalonia - Holy Land, the organization that filed the complaint. The company plans to file a formal complaint. The judge, for his part, could dismiss the case or continue the investigation. The case does not focus on the recent arms embargo approved by the Spanish government, but rather predates it and is linked to two different laws: the Organic Law on the Repression of Smuggling and Articles 29 and 607 of the Penal Code. The National Court magistrate is focusing on the procedure the company allegedly followed when carrying out this steel sale.
He has little media presence and is aligned with the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV).
The National Court's investigation has caught Jainaga at a crucial moment: the closing of the deal to acquire 30% of the share capital of the Basque train manufacturer Talgo. It also represents a breach of the low profile and media-shy lifestyle that characterizes him. The move in Talgo has the support of the Basque government, but also of SEPI, the Spanish government's investment arm. Jainaga is one of the most highly regarded businessmen in the Basque Country, especially for maintaining and growing the metallurgical industry in the region, according to business sources. For this reason, these same sources emphasize, he has become a stalwart for the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) over the years. His involvement in the Talgo acquisition was a lifeline for the government of Lehendakari (President of the Basque Government) Imanol Pradales because it ensures that a significant portion of the train manufacturer's shares remain in Basque hands. This was also true for the Spanish government, which went so far as to veto the train manufacturer ending up in Hungarian hands. The investigation opened by the National Court raised fears that the deal would fail, but in recent days, according to business sources, there has been "pressure" to get it back on track.