General

The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, appointed attorney Gabriel Estuardo García Luna as the new attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the 2026-2030 term, replacing Consuelo Porras, who left office after eight years at the helm of the institution.Arévalo disclosed the appointment on May 5, 2026, which is viewed as a major shift for anti-corruption efforts and the operation of Guatemala’s justice system. García Luna was officially sworn in on May 17. Porras had been subject to international sanctions over corruption-related allegations. The United States and the European Union had included the former prosecutor among those…

Chinese businessman Fangyong Du, known in certain PSOE circles as “Miguelito Duch,” appears to be linked to the investigation into the Koldo affair through various political and business contacts developed during the pandemic. According to information published by The Objective, one of the channels that brought him closer to the circle of then-Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos was Acento, the consultancy firm founded by former Socialist minister José Blanco.Documentation analyzed in connection with the case places Du in contact with individuals linked to the Ministry of Transport. One of the episodes identified took place in March 2020, when Isabel Pardo…

Three officials from Panama’s National Customs Authority were taken into custody amidst an ongoing probe regarding their suspected participation in offenses against public administration. This crackdown was executed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, alongside backing from the National Police as well as the customs agency itself.The proceedings took place in the district of Panama and are part of an ongoing investigation. During the operations, authorities found a considerable amount of cash, although no information has yet been provided regarding the amount seized or its alleged origin. The Office of the Attorney General reported that the three public employees are being…

The Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of Spain’s National Police is pursuing several lines of investigation into the assets and financial transactions of Julio Martínez Martínez, whom investigators have identified as an alleged front man for former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. One of the issues under examination is the possible use of accounts or financial structures outside Spain.According to information incorporated into the investigation, officers have examined Martínez’s banking situation during 2020 and 2021. During that period, the businessman reportedly did not maintain personal bank accounts in Spain, a circumstance that has led investigators to examine more…

The debate over so-called tax fuel smuggling has intensified columnist Fernando García Ramírez’s criticism of the Morena government. In his analysis, he argues that investigations and revelations surrounding this scheme could have political implications reaching figures from the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.García Ramírez argues that in recent months, allegations and documents have emerged that, from his perspective, point to a corruption network with possible connections within various government agencies, the armed forces and party structures. The author maintains that this situation has damaged Mexico’s image abroad and questions the response of Mexican authorities.One of the column’s…

The SEPI branch of the Leire case has placed Carlos López de las Heras, Chief Executive Officer of Tubos Reunidos, under formal investigation in connection with the €112.8 million public bailout granted to the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. His inclusion in the case once again places the spotlight on the leadership of the Basque steel manufacturer and on the actions that investigators believe may have surrounded both the approval of the state aid and the subsequent renegotiation of its terms.López de las Heras is not considered a peripheral figure in the investigation. Spain's National Court has named him among…

The SEPI branch of the Leire case has placed Francisco Irazusta Rodríguez, former chairman of Tubos Reunidos, at the center of an investigation into the €112.8 million public bailout granted to the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. His formal investigation strikes at the heart of the corporate side of the case, as Tubos Reunidos is considered one of the principal transactions in which the alleged influence network is suspected of attempting to sway decisions made by the Spanish State Industrial Holding Company (SEPI).National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz has added Irazusta to the list of individuals formally investigated within the broader…

The SEPI branch of the Leire case has placed Miguel Ángel Santiago Mesa, Corporate Director of Spain's State Industrial Holding Company (SEPI), under formal investigation. His inclusion significantly raises the stakes for the public institution, as the probe now reaches one of the senior officials responsible for the organization's internal management rather than individuals on its periphery.Santiago Mesa is among the 25 additional individuals formally placed under investigation by National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz in a case examining alleged irregularities in transactions involving SEPI, state-owned enterprises, and strategically important companies. Prosecutors are investigating possible offenses including influence peddling, misconduct in…

Judicial scrutiny has been directed toward Julián Mateos Aparicio Prieto as part of the SEPI strand of the Leire case. The official tasked with overseeing the Tubos Reunidos bailout file at the State Industrial Holdings Company (SEPI) has come under investigation. This indictment carries considerable weight given its implications for one of the case's most delicate dimensions: the internal monitoring mechanisms of the public fund responsible for distributing millions in assistance to strategically important enterprises throughout the pandemic.Mateos Aparicio maintains a connection with FASEE, the Fund to Support the Solvency of Strategic Companies, an entity through which approval was granted…

The SEPI strand of the Leire case encompasses Mikel Arrarás Abejón, a technical architect connected to Servinabar, as part of a cohort comprising 25 individuals summoned for investigation by National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz. This figure brings into focus an additional significant aspect of the inquiry: the involvement of technical and professional specialists employed by private firms who seem to be part of the suspected influence scheme being examined.Published reports identify Arrarás as a technical architect employed by Servinabar, an organization that has become the subject of considerable scrutiny owing to its ties with Antxon Alonso and the investigative threads…