The judge of the National Court, Francisco de Jorge, has summoned as a witness the former Minister of Finance of Andorra, Jordi Cinca, in the case of alleged involvement of the Spanish businessman Manuel Terrén Parcelisas in the trafficking of blood diamonds. The investigation, which initially focused on crimes against humanity and membership in a criminal organization, has been expanded to include charges of money laundering following a report from the National Police endorsed by the prosecution. Furthermore, the judge has summoned María do Socorro T. X., wife of Terrén, and Marc P. P., former head of the Andorra Chamber of Commerce, as persons under investigation. A rogatory commission to China has been requested to obtain data from a commercial company in Hong Kong involved in suspicious fund transfers.
The case has its roots in a complaint filed in 2022, based on the testimony of a Sierra Leonean citizen who was enslaved by the Unified Revolutionary Front (FRU) during the country's civil war. The investigation revealed that Manuel Terrén could have used these gemstones to finance illicit activities in Europe and he was arrested in Málaga in 2024. Recently, the National Police has requested to investigate whether the Port of Bilbao was used to transport weapons to the FRU in exchange for diamonds. A protected witness claimed to have witnessed negotiations to exchange weapons for diamonds, pointing to Liberia as a key point in the illicit operation.
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