First acquittal to a bank dome, that of Caixa Catalunya, for millionaire salaries in the crisis

First acquittal to a bank dome, that of Caixa Catalunya, for millionaire salaries in the crisis

The ex-president of the entity, Narcís Serra, gets rid of the jail sentences that demanded the accusations for granting a high remuneration in full swing of the bank a decade ago

  The last managers of Caixa Catalunya, with their former president and ex-socialist Narcís Serra at the head, have been acquitted of the crimes of unfair administration and misappropriation for the compensation they received when the entity was in full decline due to the economic crisis that began a decade ago This has been determined by the Eighth Section of the Audiencia of Barcelona in a ruling in which it frees almost 40 former directors, including its CEO, Adolf Todó.

  The ruling supposes the first acquittal that the Justice grants to part of the old domes of the savings banks for the acts related to the recession stage of those businesses, with millionaire salaries in NovacaixaGalicia; the use of 'black' cards, as happened in Bankia with Rodrigo Rato in front. So far, the judges had condemned all these types of practices in the midst of the financial hurricane that took these entities ahead , and which were absorbed by others, such as Caixa Catalunya, now in the hands of BBVA; or nationalized, as happened with Bankia.

As reported by the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), the court considers that "the facts declared proven are not constituting the offense of unfair administration or of misappropriation held by the accusing parties ." The accusations held that the defendants committed these crimes by the agreements approved in several Boards of Directors of the entity in which, in the middle of the economic crisis, with a notable reduction in benefits, the salary of several of the main responsible persons was increased.

The trial for the salaries of Caixa Catalunya began last October when Narcís Serra faced the view with all the tranquility of the world , according to the statements he made before facing the judicial day at the Audiencia de Barcelona. The former vice-president of the Government affirmed that these "scandalous salaries do not exist" and that all the decisions he made were legal and legitimate. When asked about the supposedly disproportionate payments that were approved, he stated that those "scandalous" amounts "do not exist." "The prosecutor only accuses us of the director's salary. Do not accuse of anything else, "he said.

Who was responsible for the Catalan case, which the public treasury injected more than 12,000 million euros in full crisis , faced a penalty of four years in prison for two alleged crimes of unfair administration at the request of the Prosecutor. In any case, according to the court ruling, has managed to show that they did at the time "what corresponded," as indicated. "And that many things we even saw before other authorities, that we change the direction, that there are only legal and legitimate decisions," he added.

The first people in charge of a savings bank who crossed the gates of a prison were the former directors of Novacaixagalicia. They were sentenced to two years in prison on charges of unfair administration when they appropriated 22 million euros between pension plans and severance payments when the entity had already received the first of three injections of public money that were necessary to save it.

Another banking cause, that of the preferred CAM, was suspended in summer by the National Court, after the private accusations were withdrawn and requested the dismissal alleging the 'Botín doctrine'.