Causality or not, the boom of economic team, the office founded by Cristóbal Montoro, coincides with the ascending political career of the former minister. Founded in 2006 under the name of Montoro and associates, the office lived a growth until the excess of visibility and a series of suspicions, scandals and investigations for conflict of interest ended up burying it. Today the original society is inactive, while a new company, Global Afteli, operates as a discreet heiress of that history of connections, advice, rotating doors and possible influence peddling that has led to the imputation of the former minister, his team in the government and those responsible for his consultant
Montoro created the consultant after his departure from the government of José María Aznar – was Minister of Finance twice, the first between 2000 and 2004, and the second between 2011 and 2018, with Mariano Rajoy – and formally abandoned it in 2008. That separation, however, was never perceived as such by Madrid's power circles: customers arrived, contracts multiplied and the growth of the office evolved alongside the political influence of the then minister.
In its first year as an economic team (EE), the company billed about 3 million euros, thanks to a network of political contacts very specialized in economic and tax matters. Cristóbal Montoro founded the office with Salvador Ruiz Gallud, former director of the Tax Agency, and three former secretary of state: Ricardo Martínez Rico (budgets and expenses), José Manuel Fernández Norniella (Commerce, Tourism and SME) and Luis de Guindos (Economy). Ruiz Gallud and Martínez Rico are today among those accused by the judge of Tarragona investigating the case.
In 2012, already as head of the Treasury, its former partners more than doubled the income, by rubbing 6.7 million, according to the data of the official accounts deposited in the Mercantile Registry. The 2012 record figure, in full economic crisis, was also the beginning of the gradual decline of the office business. While Montoro announced cuts from the Congress, his ex -parties advised large companies in tax matters that required influence and not little knowledge of the BOE, such as those who are investigating justice.
First news
Billing data is as eloquent as their opacity has been. In 2015, economic team billing descended to 4.3 million. This year the first news appeared on the complaint presented by the Anti -Corruption Prosecutor's Office against the US “for the allegedly irregular award in 2012 of a contract with the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid,” as it appears in the summary. Judicial and complaints for alleged influence on awards and relations with multinationals caused a flight flight. The following year it fell to 1.6 million and in 2017, it barely entered 242,000 euros.
That reduction coincided with the opening of proceedings on alleged links with legislative changes and suspicious contracts. Ferrovial, Abengoa, the Codere or Madrid Network betting operator, a public company presided by the Minister of Economy and Finance of Madrid, Antonio Beteta (PP), are some of the companies that contacted economic team.
That same year, in 2017, the Global Afteli society was established, with almost identical activity and template, but with a more discreet profile. Without the name that appeared in so many summaries, holders and investigations and under minimum in transparency. Global Afteli started strong: more than 3.5 million euros in its first year. Then nothing. Since 2018, annual accounts have not been deposited in the Mercatil Registry, which limits the public knowledge of its financial situation.
Payments that cover up “commissions”
The car of the Judge of Tarragona that has charged Montoro and a good part of his closest team points to that between 2011 and 2019, the companies that hired the US – the Association of Industrial and Medicinal Gases Manufacturers (Afgim), Air Liquide, Messer, Praxair and Abelló (today both borders) and metal carbides – paid about 780,000 euros for technical reports that were then adjusted and whose Fees multiplied by ten of other consultants, such as Ernest & Young (EY), which is, according to the magistrate, who did the “effective work”, that is, consulting reports. Hey appears in the car, but not as part of the corrupt network.
For the holder of the Court number 2 of Tarragona, “all this indicates that the payment made to the US would not obey a real benefit, but would cover up a commission for the exercise of its influence and thus achieve the legislative reform in its favor.” And he adds: “Taking into account that the technical reports in charge with the purpose of arguing their claims before the public power are prepared by the consultant EY, and in the best cases retouched by the US, the minutes of the investigated office can multiply by ten charged by the consultants made by the reports.”
Montoro closed his cycle as a minister without accountability for the relationship between his passage through the Ministry of Finance and the benefits of his former firm. In later interviews he has said that “it has nothing to do” with the US founded. Perhaps that is why, all the original economic team partners ended up being members of Global Afteli, acronym for the global legal and international economic tax advice, which operates without a trace.
