THE corruption scandal engulfing Marbella’s judicial system has deepened, as police have introduced a full evaluation of each case dealt with by the courtroom clerk who confessed to stealing €19 million in cryptocurrencies initially seized from on-line fraudsters.
The choice comes simply weeks after the surprising theft was uncovered by Policia Nacional, and now authorities are shifting to evaluate the complete extent of the harm.
The suspect, an interim courtroom clerk often known as a Letrado de la Administracion de Justicia (LAJ), had been working in Marbella’s Court docket of Instruction No. 1 between October 2023 and January 2025.
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The courtroom has determined to re-examine all judicial exercise carried out by the clerk throughout his tenure, in accordance with SUR.
This has been described as a response to not any particular irregularities, however prompted by his personal admission to embezzling practically €19 million in crypto property.
These funds had been confiscated throughout ‘Operation Geld’, an investigation into an alleged web scammer in Marbella.
The stolen cryptocurrencies had been secured by police in September 2024 and positioned beneath courtroom custody.
The digital pockets keys have been sealed in an envelope and handed by varied phases of judicial custody, in the end destined for the Ministry of Justice’s Workplace of Asset Restoration and Administration (ORGA) in Madrid.
However when ORGA officers tried to transform the digital funds into euros this January, they found the wallets have been practically empty.
Lower than €100,000 remained from what had been a haul price €19 million.
A police investigation ensued, ultimately resulting in the arrest of the substitute clerk – a revered civil servant with a clear report and repute for onerous work.
He was discovered to have intercepted the sealed envelope containing the crypto pockets passwords, and, slightly than transferring them on to Madrid, delayed the method for 3 months, allegedly in an try to obscure his tracks.
Investigators later found the clerk had bought a safe digital pockets for personal use and had referred to himself as a ‘crypto investor.’
A search of properties linked to the suspect revealed essential proof: a paper word containing the up to date entry credentials hidden behind a wardrobe doorframe.
The LAJ confessed following his arrest simply earlier than Easter and is presently beneath investigation for embezzlement and breach of official duties.
He has been suspended from all courtroom features and will quickly be completely faraway from the nationwide register of substitute clerks, pending a call by the Ministry of Justice.
