Controversy in Madrid: two men get rich on the back of the health crisis

Puerta del Sol square in the center of Madrid, Spain, Thursday, February 10, 2022. AP - Manu Fernandez

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Scandal in Spain linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two crooked entrepreneurs are said to have received a million euros as part of a contract with Madrid City Hall to provide sanitary equipment, such as masks, gloves and rapid tests.

Luis Medina and Alberto Lucero saw their property seized by the courts.

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From our correspondent in Madrid, 

A yacht, an apartment worth one million euros, Rolexes galore, luxury cars… In total, assets for a total of twelve million euros. 

From judicial sources, these are the fraudulent purchases made by two businessmen, Luis Medina and Alberto Lucero.

They would have done them thanks to commissions obtained on contracts concluded with the town hall of Madrid for the obtaining of sanitary material. 

These two crooked entrepreneurs allegedly inflated the value of the sale and provided poor quality masks, gloves and tests for very high prices.

Two-thirds of that sale would have ended up in their pockets and allowed them to buy all those luxuries. 

Madrid City Hall defends itself

This affair has caused a lively controversy in the Spanish capital, where the town hall is trying to defend its good faith: it claims to have been deceived by these businessmen, but the mayor José Luis Almeida will have to explain why he obtained this contract from the through one of his cousins.

Many indeed suspect him of being at the origin of this corruption scandal, which occurred at the start of the pandemic, in the spring of 2020, when the Spaniards died every month by the hundreds of the coronavirus.

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