The Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard questioned two lawyers from the Sevillian law firm as part of an investigation SDEP Legal Study SLPas part of a covert operation led by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the Armed Institute against an alleged corruption plot of … public contracts for which the former PSOE advisor and “plumber” Leire Díez and the former president of SEPI (State Company of Industrial Participations) Vicente Fernández were arrested. Last Thursday, agents of this specialized unit carried out searches in the aforementioned law firm, both its head office is located on Calle Cardenal Bueno Monreal as in his office on Calle Diego de León in Madrid.
The lawyers investigated by the UCO are Juan Antonio Carrillo Donaire and Laura Babío. Both took advantage of their constitutional right not to testify, legal sources confirmed to ABC. The first served as party expert, at the suggestion of the former socialist Minister of Finance. Carmen Martinez Aguayoduring the trial of the so-called political part of the ERE case held in 2018 by the first section of the Provincial Court of Seville.
The court ended up convicting 19 former senior officials of the Andalusian government for aid fraud to companies in crisis, including the former presidents of Andalusia and the PSOE. Manuel Chaves and José Antonio Griñán. Carrillo Donaire’s advice as a legal expert did not prevent the sentencing of Carmen Martínez Aguayo to six years in prison for embezzlementa sentence which was later annulled by the Constitutional Court presided over by Cándido Conde-Pumpido.
As part of this investigation, subject to summary secrecy, he was also arrested. Joseba Antxon Alonso Egurrolaowner of Servinabar 2000 SL, whose partner would be the former PSOE organizational secretary Santos Cerdán, Leire Diezwho was the first president of the State Company of Industrial Participations (SEPI) appointed by María Jesús Montero. All three are being prosecuted for the alleged commission of the crimes of prevarication, embezzlement, influence peddling and criminal organization.
Professor of administrative law
Juan Antonio Carrillo was directly linked to the law firm subject to UCO control, SDEP Estudio Legal SLP, until a year ago. Currently, it is Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Seville and elective councilor of the Consultative Council of Andalusia (without full-time employment or salary) since January 2021. Carrillo Donaire has also been a member of the Special Appeal Tribunal for Public Procurement of the Parliament of Andalusia and a member of the National Office for the Evaluation of Public Procurement.
The other attorney under investigation currently practices law with the firm. It is about Laura Babio De Pablospartner of the firm and law graduate from the University of Seville.
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