The National Court has opened an investigation against the man who until a few weeks ago was the number two at the Spanish consulate in Algiers, within the framework of an alleged scheme dedicated to the irregular granting of visas to enter Spain.
According to what El País has reported, the case focuses on possible irregularities committed by the Spanish diplomatic legation in the Algerian capital and analyzes whether certain visas may have been issued outside the established legal procedures.
Arrests and searches
The investigation would have already led to several police actions, including arrests and searches carried out at different points in Spain. Other information published in the last few hours points to operations in the Valencian Community and the seizure of cash, electronic devices, and documentation linked to the case.
The investigations aim to clarify whether there was an organized network that facilitated fraudulent documentation or expedited files in exchange for financial compensation.
Suspicions about the granting of visas
The judicial focus is on the internal processing mechanisms for travel permits to Spain, a particularly sensitive process in consulates with high migratory and commercial demand, such as the one in Algiers.
Investigators analyze administrative files, internal communications, and possible connections between diplomatic personnel, intermediaries, and applicants.
Justice would also have requested the preservation of corporate emails and administrative files related to the issuance of those visas, with the objective of preserving documentary evidence.
Diplomatic Impact
The case erupts at a time of normalization of relations between Spain and Algeria, after several years of diplomatic and commercial tension caused by the Spanish shift on Western Sahara.
Although the investigation is judicial and not political in nature, the opening of proceedings in a Spanish external representation adds institutional sensitivity to the matter.
Open case
For the moment, the specific crimes that could be attributed to those investigated have not been officially detailed, nor if there will be new charges. The investigation continues under partial secrecy while the National Court gathers documentation and takes statements from those involved.
The investigation seeks to determine if they were isolated actions or a stable system of irregular visa granting from one of the main Spanish consular headquarters in North Africa.