Those involved in the Montoro case also invoiced the FAES
The former minister, his brother, and several members of the Economic Team received payments from the foundation chaired by Aznar.
BarcelonaThe Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies (FAES) was founded in 2002 as a result of the merger of five foundations linked to the Popular Party (PP). When he left the Moncloa Palace in 2004, José María Aznar effectively assumed the presidency of this foundation. And in the summary of the Montoro case, the alleged corruption case affecting the top brass of the Treasury, the FAES appears on more than one occasion.
The Mossos d'Esquadra investigation, overseen by the Tarragona courts, is investigating an alleged corruption scheme at the heart of the state accounts during the term of the Popular Party's Mariano Rajoy (2011-2018). Allegedly, the ministry led by Cristóbal Montoro modified taxes to benefit certain companies, which had previously paid money to a firm founded by Montoro himself, Equipo Económico, to influence Treasury decisions. Now, the investigation is focused on trying to unravel the web of front men and shell companies, some abroad, to determine whether there was personal enrichment by those responsible for the ministry and Montoro. To this end, the police have requested all their tax and banking information.
According to the summary, this information reveals all the holdings and payments made by the thirty individuals under investigation, and this is where the FAES comes in. Specifically, the foundation chaired by Aznar made payments to eight of those under investigation, most of them linked to the Equipo Económico law firm. The Tax Agency report submitted to the case does not specify the amount of the payments or the motive for them.
Cristóbal and Ricardo Montoro
Montoro himself, in fact, invoiced money to FAES between 2008 and 2011. His brother Ricardo Montoro also did so between 2006 and 2012. Ricardo Montoro was a founding partner of Equipo Económico (when it was initially called Montoro y Asociados) and was elected to parliament on the 8th. Ricardo Montoro was a director of Equipo Económico from 2007 to 2012, but continued to receive remuneration from the firm in subsequent years.
Another of the investigated individuals who received remuneration from the FAES Foundation between 2008 and 2010 is Ricardo Martínez Rico. He was also a founding partner of Montoro's firm, was its chairman of the board in 2008, and has remained its CEO. Martínez Rico has a long political career, having served as chief of staff to the Minister of Finance between 2000 and 2003, when Montoro was already the Minister, and as Secretary of State for Budgets between 2003 and 2005. His chief of staff during this period was Pilar Platero Sanz.
Platero Sanz was also a partner at Equipo Económico from 2009 to 2012, and also received payments from FAES: from the foundation in 2008 and 2009, and from the publishing house of the same entity in 2010. Furthermore, Platero Sanz was appointed to Montoro, and in 2016, also appointed by Montoro, president of SEPI. During that period, Montoro's brother allegedly sold part of his shares to Equipo Económico.
One of the negotiators with the gas companies
The FAES Foundation payments don't end there. Miguel Crespo, Minister and Secretary of the Economic Team, also received money from the entity chaired by Aznar. He held this position from 2006 to 2010, and during this period received payments from the FAES and its publishing house. During that time, the foundation also paid money to Salvador Ruiz Gallud, who was Director General of the Tax Agency between 2001 and 2004 and was also a founding partner of the Economic Team. He remained a member of the firm's board since 2007. His chief of staff while at the Tax Agency was Manuel Enrique de Vicente-Tutor, who received payments from the FAES between 2008 and 2014. Vicente-Tutor was also a partner of the Economic Team and held a role in the judicial spotlight.
The latest suspect to have received money from the FAES and its publishing house is Francisco Piedras Camacho, who was paid between 2008 and 2014. A few years earlier, he was chief of staff to Minister Montoro during Aznar's term in office and, like all the others involved, he passed away.
