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Alonso Ancira to be released from prison after paying €1 million bail

Alonso Ancira is linked to an alleged corruption case involving Emilio Lozoya and Odebrecht

Alonso Ancira was arrested in Spain in late March - Photo: Javier Lira/EL UNIVERSAL
01/07/2019 |14:02Luis Méndez / Corresponsal |
Redacción El Universal
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Today, Mexican businessman Alonso Ancira was released from prison in Palma de Mallorca, Spain , after paying a €1 million bail .

Sources told EL UNIVERSAL that Alonso Ancira , the owner of Altos Hornos de México S.A. (AHMSA) , will be free but will continue to be monitored by Spanish authorities . He will have to comply with precautionary measures imposed by the judge in order to prevent him from fleeing Spain and ensure his process to be extradited to Mexico .

Ancira will be forced to appear before a judge every two days and will have to provide his mobile number so that authorities can locate him at all times. Judge Santiago Pedraz withdrew his passports and banned him from leaving Spain .

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Ancira

was arrested in late May after Mexico issued an international search and arrest warrant against him after he was accused of money laundering, corruption , a nd fraud.

When Ancira was arrested in Spain , he refused to be extradited to Mexico .

The Mexican businessman is accused of selling a fertilizer plant , Agronitrogenados , to Pemex for a premium of over MXN $500 million .

Furthermore, the Attorney General (FGR) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) found irregular transfers between AHMSA and offshore companies linked to Odebrecht and former Pemex director, Emilio Lozoya , who is at large.

Nevertheless, Ancira's lawyer , Ismael Oliver, claims his client is innocent and emphasizes that his arrest is unjustified and that it is the result of a vendetta orchestrated by López Obrador's government.

Mexico has 8 more days to present certain documents before Spanish authoritie s to validate his extradition to Mexico .

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