The Church will spend 48 million in the purchase of land in Madrid to devote to the real estate business

According to experts consulted by this newspaper, both operations were carried out below the market price. With these two alienations, almost 400 families have been harmed. The first sale corresponds to the Fusara Foundation, one of the 71 that controls the Madrid Archbishopric. This operation is being investigated by the holder of the Court of Instruction number 51 of the Plaza de Castilla, Carmen Rodríguez-Medel, in case the administrators have been able to commit the crimes of fraud, corruption and unfair administration. The sale of seven of the 14 properties has not been registered by those responsible for the Property Registry.

The Church argued that with sales it would create a "great city of mercy" in El Cañaveral, south of the capital. But this plan, for now, is not underway. According to the sources consulted, the minutes and documents to which EL PAÍS has had access, will allocate almost 50 million to buy a plot of 9,844 square meters that the real estate Metrovacesa owns in Valdebebas. The Archbishop's intention is to build an office block to obtain higher returns.

April 24, 2019. These two ecclesiastical disposals have one point in common: the law firm Chávarri Abogados. This office intervened between the two operations with commissions of 5%, according to the documents to which this newspaper has had access. “We usually work a lot with them,” say sources of the Archbishopric. This cabinet created a foundation under the name of Chávarri for the Common Good in 2018 that has David López Royo as executive director and Julio Lage, who resigned a year ago, according to his version. López Royo piloted the two sales on behalf of the Church, as an episcopal delegate of foundations since 2016. That year he also delegated in Lage the management of the Archbishop's accounts. Both Lage and López Royo do not see a conflict of interest, despite being on both sides of the operation.

The parish of St. George, sold by the Archbishopric. KIKE FOR

On the morning of April 24, 2019, the board of trustees of the Fusara Foundation met, one of the 71 controlled by the Archbishopric. David López Royo attended, representing the archbishop Carlos Osoro; two priests, the secretary of the foundation and the manager. Councilor Mauricio Valiente (IU) did not attend, on behalf of the mayor of the time, Manuela Carmena and the government delegate, Paz García Vera, but they delegated their votes to a yes.

That day it was unanimously approved that the law firm Chávarri Abogados be in charge of looking for buyers for the sale of the 14 properties. The firm prepares a report in which the 200 families living in these buildings and who learned from a burofax, eight months after the sale, that they had to leave their homes were labeled as "real charges" and "personal charges" .

Fusara is an acronym for Fundación de Santamarca and San Ramón y San Antonio. Its purpose is "to educate minors without economic means with Catholic education". With the monthly payments of the 200 families, the educational centers are maintained. Until now.

That morning, the general director of the foundation, Ignacio Olmos, presented a report on “Reputational Risk”: “The income of the families has doubled after the real estate crisis of 2008. The foundation has never been published in the press for an issue of property management. […] There has never been an aggressive eviction policy against tenants. […] For the foundation, the objective as management has not been the maximum profitability, but the stability of the tenant mass ”.

However, the foundation contradicts itself in another report and sets out the reasons for the sale: “Real estate assets no longer adequately served the foundational purposes due to their low profitability. […] There are contracts with Leonine clauses for Fusara (that is, excessively beneficial for the tenants) ”. The Board approves the sale and instructs the firm to search for a buyer "as soon as possible" with a commission for the dispatch of 5%.

May 24, 2019. The Board meets again 30 days later. Jesús Merino, on behalf of Chávarri Abogados, explains to those present that in less than a month he has located two buyers and that these two state that it is Chávarri who advises them: “This way the discretion of the sales operations is better guaranteed”.

The nursing home, located around the Bernabéu. KIKE FOR

The first offer came on May 14, 2019. Prado Advocats, an office in Barcelona, ​​offered 62 million for the 14 properties. The second came on May 21 through Tapiamar SL, a network of 14 companies created between April 2 and June 13, 2019 with a capital of 3,010 euros each and whose shareholders include Ahorro Corporacion Financiera, a of the big investment firms in Spain. This business framework offered 74 million to be paid in two installments, 37 million on June 21, 2019 and 37 on June 21, 2020.

The offer explains that among its shareholders is a “senior executive of Barclays Bank,” Alvaro Portanet (husband of Ana Agag and sister of Alejandro Agag, son-in-law of former president Aznar). On July 30, 2019 the sale is executed with a transfer of 37 million from Luxembourg and whose payer is Cio Spanish Finance Lux. During all this time the 200 tenants receive burofaxes with threats to leave their homes as soon as possible.

The operation around the Bernabéu. The Archbishop approved the sale of the parish of San Jorge and the nursing home of the Blessed Virgin and San Celedonio Foundation, located on Padre Damián 22, five minutes from Santiago Bernabéu, for 37 million to the Nebrija University. According to the deeds, it will be paid in three installments. Here reside 18 nuns, 163 elders and 29 workers. All of them must leave the premises, at the latest, on November 8, 2021. More than 5,000 neighbors have collected signatures and tried to speak with Archbishop Osoro to explain that they are against the sale of the parish of San Jorge. Osoro has not met with them.

Neighbors affected by one of the Church's sales. VICTOR SAINZ

This operation was also orchestrated by Chávarri Abogados, who took another 5% commission. On January 8, according to different sources, the Board of Trustees met again. The representative of the firm informs that with the sale of the 14 properties of Fusara, the parish and the nursing home will be invested in a plot of 9,844 square meters located on the Avenue of the Armed Forces 322, in Valdebebas, owned by Metrovacesa, one of the great real estate in Spain. The price was set at 47,676,000 euros. The intention is to build an office block.

“The foundation would become a promoter of a new, modern building that meets all current building regulations. The benefit of the promoter is greater. The longest life of the building and the possibility of obtaining better rental conditions and lower maintenance costs. ” For the construction of the work the Church will allocate 62,354,640 euros. The estimated value of the finished building is 170 million euros. "It is not understood that the foundation undertakes an investment of this amount and with such a high risk, given that it is jeopardizing its operation," said the real estate experts consulted.

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