Overview
- The investigating judge has opened oral proceedings on the main piece of the Mediador case, sending 14 defendants to trial on suspicions of influence peddling, bribery and related crimes.
- Those charged include former deputy Juan Bernardo Fuentes Curbelo, his nephew Taishet Fuentes, intermediary Marco Antonio Navarro Tacoronte and retired Guardia Civil general Francisco Espinosa.
- The indictment attributes a 2020–2021 scheme that allegedly offered administrative favors, contracts and subsidies to businesses in exchange for money, gifts or commissions.
- Prosecutors rely heavily on material extracted from Navarro Tacoronte’s mobile phone—WhatsApp messages, recordings, photos and transfer receipts—and have asked for sentences as high as 13 years for key defendants.
- The case began with Guardia Civil inquiries in 2023 and has produced separate convictions in other pieces; the provincial court will now fix the trial date and the accused remain presumed innocent until a final judgment.