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The President of the Board of Directors of the steel company Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) , Alonso Ancira , formally rejected before the judge of the National Audience, Santiago Pedraz, his extradition to Mexico, where he faces alleged crimes of corruption , according to legal sources
In addition, the Mexican businessman denied before the judge the crimes of corruption and money laundering for which he is accused in Mexico, and argued that it is a political persecution.
The head of the Central Court No. 1 summoned him to make his declaration on Tuesday to inform him of the extradition order issued by Mexican authorities to investigate him for the alleged irregular transfers from the bank accounts of AHMSA to offshore companies linked to the Brazilian building company Odebrecht and the former CEO of PEMEX , Emilio Lozoya .
The Mexican businessman was arrested by the end of May in the Palma de Mallorca Airport in virtue of the request of the Mexico Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the Mexican Financial Intelligence Unit for being suspect of alleged crimes of corruption.
Hence, Ancira rejected his presentation to Mexico when he declared in a videoconference before the judge Pedraz. While the procedures were done, the judge stated his confinement to prison with a bail of EU € 1 million , which he finally paid on July 1st .
Thus, once the request for surrender from Mexico and the documents that endorsed the request had come to the National Audience – there was a term of 40 days since his arrest –, judge Pedraz summoned the businessman once again, face-to-face, to ask him formally if he accepts his extradition. Something that he has rejected once more, according to legal sources.
After this communicate, it will the Criminal Chamber who will study this request of extradition and who will make in the next months a visit to analyze if the necessary requirements are met to accept Mexico’s petition .
In the meanwhile, the president of the AHMSA is in provisional release with the precautionary measures set by the investigating magistrate when he was released: he has to make appearances in court every two days, his passport was confiscated and he is forbidden from leaving Spain .
