• Courts. The judge investigates "active participation" of OHL in the diversion of public money to the PP of Madrid
  • Investigation: The UCO uncovers the "possible manipulation" of former Minister Piqué in favor of OHL in the City of Justice contract
  • Investigation: OHL directors erase evidence of 'Lezo' bribery

Corruption plots persecute businessman Juan Miguel Villar Mir and threaten the imputation of the construction company Obrascón Huarte Laín ( OHL ) as a legal entity, according to sources confirmed in this newspaper, who are aware of the procedure opened under the so-called Lezo case.

In this case, related to a plot of diversion of public money for their own benefit and in which Villar Mir is being investigated for crimes related to corruption - criminal organization, prevarication, embezzlement, contracting fraud, bribery, influence peddling, corruption in business and money laundering, OHL is one of the companies that is under the magnifying glass of Justice for the award of alleged irregular contracts at the time when this businessman was the president of the Villar Mir Group, parent of OHL, and his son-in-law Francisco Javier López Madrid was an advisor.

Precisely, since March 14, 2018, the investigating judge of this case, the judge of the National Court Manuel García Castellón , is investigating "a generalized practice", as defined by the Fiscal Ministry, of payment of commissions to public officials by responsible for OHL to get the award of certain public works for execution throughout the national territory.

The facts investigated reveal that the OHL company paid almost 50 million euros in commissions - specifically, 49.28 million, according to the calculations made by the Central Operating Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard , in charge of the investigation - between 2003 and 2014 in the framework of the execution of 320 works and 84 buildings.

Investigators detected the existence of "a hierarchy" to carry out the alleged plot, highlighting the former CEO of OHL, Rafael Martín de Nicolás - "who would have to approve all those payments" - in addition to Villar Mir himself, referenced in the audio files intervened by the Civil Guard in the homes of two former OHL workers.

This is Felicísimo Ramos Ramos and Paulino Hernández Ros , investigated for these events in the framework of the Lezo case with Martín de Nicolás and two other people who remain linked to the company: Rosa Corral and Francisco Navarrete , director of internal control of OHL and territorial director, respectively.

The contracts investigated

The investigators consider that there are indications of alleged crimes of illicit association, embezzlement, bribery, fraud and money laundering after identifying the irregular award of works contracts in different parts of Spain governed by different political parties. The last report provided by the UCO to the Central Court of Instruction number 6 warns of the execution of contracts, allegedly irregular in Andalusia and the Canary Islands.

Specifically, the piece opened in the Lezo case to investigate this alleged network is focused on works such as the Baza variant (Granada) to connect with the commission A-92-230,000 euros-, the shelter of the port of Granadilla (Tenerife ) -commission of 1.37 million-, the port La Estaca (El Hierro, Canary Islands) -commission of 360,000 euros-, the reinforcement of the A-92 firm -commission of 125,000 euros-, the development of the dock of the port of Almería - commission of 1.15 million - and the N-630 road, at the height of Aldea del Cano (Badajoz) - commission of 650,000 euros. To these works are added others awarded by the State Society of Land Transport Infrastructures (Seitt), under the Ministry of Development.

Among the facts investigated, the UCO also detected an alleged generation of black cash to make commission payments. According to the investigation, there was a planned dynamic within OHL to generate B funds for public office.

The first inquiries suggest that those responsible for OHL could have resorted to a practice aimed at covering up the payment of commissions. Specifically, irregular payment by the company through Mexico with funds transferred by OHL from Spain. The UCO came to identify the payment of 3.4 million dollars to a Luxembourg company - Lendir Investments -, in an account at the Swiss bank UBS, through the Mexican subsidiary of OHL Constructora de Proyectos Viales de México de CV .

The OHL Code of Conduct

Last May, OHL sent the judge a report on its code of conduct to prevent bribery crimes by its employees. In 2002, that code warned that executive staff "will not be able to conduct business or obtain benefits through illegal activities." In 2010, he said that "none of the people in the group will accept or pay any kind of bribe." And in 2015, he warned of "the absolute prohibition of offering any type of gift to any public official, directly or indirectly."

Sources of OHL consulted by this newspaper, detach themselves from the alleged criminal acts investigated at the time of Villar Mir and defend the good work of the company, led since 2018 by José Antonio Fernández Gallar . The Villar Mir group holds 30% of the shareholding.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Civil Guard
  • Canary Islands
  • Andalusia
  • Mexico
  • National audience
  • Almeria
  • Badajoz
  • Pomegranate
  • Javier López Madrid
  • Juan Miguel Villar Mir
  • Corruption
  • Punic Operation
  • Lezo operation
  • Gürtel case
  • PP

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