The judge highlights the "thousands of daily deaths" that there were when commission agents Luceño and Medina acted in Madrid

The businessman Luis Medina, brother of the Duke of Feria, in April 2021 in Madrid. OSCAR ORTIZ DIAZ (Europa Press)

Judge Adolfo Carretero, who assumed the instruction on the millionaire commissions charged by businessmen Luis Medina and Alberto Luceño for the sale of medical supplies to the Madrid City Council during the coronavirus crisis, has highlighted the "seriousness" of the facts under suspicion.

In a brief signed this Tuesday - where he admits the appearance of the Consistory, the PSOE and Podemos as accusations -, the judge underlines the enormous "general interest and public repercussion" of this case, "when investigating the handling of public funds in a matter As serious as the acquisition of medical supplies was at the height of the pandemic, with thousands of deaths daily, [to] determine whether they benefited certain people to the detriment of the generality of citizens.”

The Superior Court of Justice (TSJ) of Madrid announced last week that the judge had admitted for processing the complaint filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor against Luceño and Medina for crimes of aggravated fraud, money laundering and forgery.

According to the public ministry, in March 2020, at the worst moment of the pandemic, when hundreds of people died and citizens were confined to their homes while health workers dealt with an unknown virus, the two businessmen acted "in common agreement". to “obtain an exaggerated and unjustified economic benefit”.

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The story of the Prosecutor's Office is overwhelming.

Both presumably turned to a cousin of the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, to contact the City Council, to whom they offered "the possibility of acquiring large consignments of medical supplies made in China."

In exchange, six million euros were pocketed, thanks to the fact that they "artificially inflated" the prices of products with triggered commissions: 60% for masks;

71% for the tests;

and 81% for gloves, according to the investigations.

With the benefits they obtained, they bought luxury goods, which the judge has already ordered to seize to ensure the recovery of the allegedly swindled money.

As stated in the car of this Tuesday, the instructor admits the appearance of the Consistory as a private accusation, "for being harmed by the alleged crimes."

Also, he accepts as popular accusation the PSOE and Podemos, whom he exempts from posting bail.

At the moment, "Rita Maestre [City Council member], and the Más Madrid Group, are not considered as a popular action, for not providing the general power for mandatory lawsuits, without prejudice to the fact that they can remedy this defect", also details the magistrate in his decision.

Luis Medina, a regular in the pink press, is the youngest son of Naty Abascal and Rafael Medina —former Duke of Feria—.

Alberto Luceño is one of his friends.

The judge has summoned them to testify on April 25, and also plans to question "the necessary witnesses to clarify the facts."

The Anticorruption complaint includes a list of the luxury products they purchased: among them, a dozen high-end cars —such as a Ferrari 812 Superfast for 355,000 euros;

a Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder for 299,999 euros;

or an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera for 293,000 euros—;

gold watches;

a yacht, which Medina baptized as

and registered in Gibraltar;

and a house in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) with three parking spaces valued at more than one million euros.

In August 2020, the first summer of the pandemic, Luceño also paid 60,000 euros for a week's stay at a hotel in Marbella (Málaga).

Almeida appeared at a press conference last week to defend his administration.

"The person who contacted my cousin was not me," said the alderman, who assured that he did not find out that his relative had acted as a mediator until the news was known.

“We only contract with this company;

we did not make payments to these people”, said the mayor, who added: “I had no idea that my cousin had intervened [...].

I have spoken with my cousin, but I am not going to say what I have spoken with him.

I find it outrageous what the money from Madrid has ended up with.

If the City Council has been scammed, we will exercise even the last actions.

Can anyone think that we would have any interest in charging more for masks?

Our sin was that the officials who went out on the streets were protected.

If a scam occurs,