The president of the Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, businessman Miguel Ángel Ramírez, has been acquitted on Monday in a trial where he was accused of allegedly defrauding 36.66 million euros between 2009 and 2017 to the Social Security and Tax authorities with his company Seguridad Integral Canarias. The nullification of the investigation conducted by former magistrate Salvador Alba led to his acquittal. Alba is currently in prison for conspiring against Judge Victoria Rosell. The ruling also includes the person who succeeded him as administrator of the company, Héctor de Armas, and a dissenting opinion from one of the three magistrates who signed the ruling, Mónica Herrera.
Alba was convicted in 2019 for conspiring against the former Podemos deputy when she was starting her political career. Alba took over the investigation against Ramírez that Judge Rosell had initiated in 2014. It was determined by the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands and later the Supreme Court that Alba had acted illegally in 2016 to favor a lawsuit from the then PP candidate Jose Manuel Soria against Victoria Rosell in order to remove her from politics. Ramírez had recordings of a conversation where Alba tried to manipulate him into providing false information about Judge Rosell’s impartiality, ultimately leading to Alba’s downfall.
The Court in Las Palmas ruled that the unethical behavior of Judge Alba invalidated the subsequent formal statement by the businessman. Without a valid statement, the Court did not fulfill its obligation to notify him timely and provide him an opportunity to defend himself. The trial of Ramírez, one of great media attention in the islands, began ten years ago, paused three times, and involved five judges, two of whom were charged and one convicted. The prosecution alleged that Ramírez disguised extra hours as diet payments to avoid tax obligations, but the Court found insufficient evidence to prove this illegal practice.
Ramírez had previously been sentenced to three years in prison in 2011 for an urban planning offense, but was later pardoned in 2013 on the condition that he demolish illegal structures on his property. However, his disqualification led to the appointment of Héctor de Armas Torrent as sole administrator, while Ramírez still maintained decision-making power. In late February, the Prosecutor’s Office in Las Palmas filed a complaint against a group of individuals, including Ramírez, linked to two companies, for embezzlement and money laundering related to unexplained income from selling medical supplies to the Government of the Canary Islands during the Covid-19 crisis from 2020 to 2021.
Ramírez’s defense team welcomed the court’s decision, emphasizing the lack of evidence to support the accusations of tax fraud and illegal practices. The case has been highlighted for its complexity, involving multiple legal proceedings, judicial authorities, and high-profile individuals. Despite the acquittal, the legal battles and controversies surrounding Ramírez and his business dealings continue to generate public interest and scrutiny. The legal saga that unfolded underscores the intricate intersections of law, politics, and business in the Canary Islands and raises questions about accountability and transparency in cases of alleged financial misconduct.
