Although the months-long process had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Spain’s National Audience decided to approve the extradition of Alonso Ancira , head of Altos Hornos de México S.A. de C.V. (AHMSA) , to Mexico.
In a judicial decree on May 27 , the president of Spain’s Judiciary in charge of evaluating Ancira’s extradition, María Riera Ocariz , notified the public prosecutor and the parties that Spain will turn the businessman to Mexican authorities for the crimes of fraud and corruption of which he is accused, according to sources close to the case.
Although the defense of the Mexican businessman had argued that the alleged crimes had lapsed and that their client was the victim of political persecution , the Spanish judges decided that Ancira must be extradited to Mexico.
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Ancira’s lawyer can resort to Spain’s National Court but in case the decision is confirmed, which is most likely, the Spanish government, through the Council of Ministers, will finally approve turning Ancira to Mexican authorities.
Ancira, who defined himself as a politically persecuted person and a “ collateral damage ” of the persecution against Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration , was released on bail after paying €1 millio n and is forbidden from leaving Spain.
He has said Mexico is a lawless country and that therefore, he does not have any guarantees.
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Spain’s police arrested Ancira on May 28, 2019 , at the Palma de Mallorca Airport in compliance with an international arrest warrant issued by the Mexican government due to alleged fraud and corruption crimes.
Back in July 2019, Ancira rejected his extradition to Mexico and denied the crimes for which he is accused in Mexico.
Mexican authorities issued the arrest warrant against Ancira due to the alleged irregular transfers from AHMSA’s bank accounts to offshore companies linked to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht and the former CEO of Pemex Emilio Lozoya , who was detained in Madrid on February 2020 and whose extradition to Mexico is still pending.
The alleged crimes committed by Ancira include the irregular sale to Pemex of the useless plant Agronitrogenados for which Mexico’s state oil company paid a premium estimated at around MXN $500 million .
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