He former socialist deputy JJuan Bernardo Fuentes Curbelo stated on the afternoon of this Wednesday, February 22, that he has a “very clear conscience” and that he is “innocent” of the crimes attributed to him by the magistrate judge Maria de los Angeles Lorenzo Cáceres Farizoowner of Court of Instruction number 4 of Santa Cruz de Tenerifewhich instructs the cause of the so-called Mediator Case.
The statements were made by Fuentes after leaving the Palace of Justice in the capital of Tenerife in the company of his lawyer, Raúl Quesada, after being provisionally released, after being arrested this week and brought before the courts this Wednesday morning.
According to the information provided by the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC), to Juan Bernardo Fuentes, former General Director of Livestock of the Government of the Canary Islands and former deputy of the Socialist Group, he is being investigated for the crimes of bribery, document falsification, money laundering, influence peddling and belonging to a criminal organization.
Fuentes assured that his statement before the authority was “fine” and that he was “fine.” To questions from journalists, he clarified that he considers himself “innocent.”
The defense lawyer clarified that the former deputy was “tired” after the entire process, which ended after 4:30 p.m.
Quesada assured that the statement was “good because he is free”, but now “the battle” begins to prove his “innocence and the recovery of his honor”.
Juan Bernardo Fuentes assured that he is “very calm” and that his conscience is “very calm.” In the words of his lawyer, “the answers my client gave are very well given” and that “there is a party”, as well as that “we have a court to defend him”. “The most fucked up thing was today and this is over,” said Quesada.
In addition, he explained that the trial could take several years. And, meanwhile, every fortnight Fuentes must appear in court.
The Communication Office of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands reported that in this case there is no public or private accusation. And the Special Delegate Prosecutor against Corruption and Organized Crime of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Jaime Serrano-Jover Gonzálezdid not request preventive detention for Juan Bernardo Fuentes Curbelo, since it considers that there is no risk of escape or destruction of evidence.
It should be remembered that, to a large extent, the evidence on which the Public Ministry bases its accusation is in the recordings of conversations and audios that the alleged mediator Of the plot, Marco Antonio Navarro Tacorontehanded over to the judicial authority and the investigators of the Provincial Judicial Police Brigade of Santa Cruz de Tenerife over a year ago.
At this time there are thirteen people who have already been brought before the judicial authority for being allegedly related to this case of alleged corruption. Of these, only the retired Division General of the Civil Guard Francisco Espinosa Navas has entered provisional prison.