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Spanish operator Codere in scandal with Finance Minister
Spain’s Mossos d’Esquadra uncovered a lobbying operation involving former Spanish Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro and high-ranking members of Codere.
The investigation was conducted under judicial secrecy in a Tarragona court for several years. The center is former Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro’s consultancy, Equipo Económico, which secured financial compensation in exchange for influencing legislative outcomes favorable to major corporations, especially in the gambling and gas sectors.
The police sources mention a total of €679,000 that was transferred from Codere to Montor’s firm between 2008 and 2012 as part of the apparent political and corporate graft scheme.
The payments are said to be a part of a strategy to pressure both the People’s Party (PP) and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) to shape gambling regulations in Codere’s favor.
At the time of the dealings, Rafael Catalá, Minister of Justice under PP Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy from 2014 to 2018, held a directorial position at Codere, raising significant conflict-of-interest concerns. Catalá previously operated as a senior Treasury official from 2000 to 2002, during Montoro’s earlier term as Finance Minister under José María Aznar.
The case tracks back to 2017, when an email was found during an unrelated urban corruption investigation. Investigators also got an anonymous tip-off alleging irregular links between Equipo Económico and Codere, and highlighting Catalá’s dual roles as a political figure and a board member in the gambling company.
The courts in Tarragona have been investigating the matter since 2018 under multiple potential criminal charges, including bribery, fraud, influence peddling, prevarication, corruption in business, and falsification of documents.
Codere has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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