The trial against Rodrigo Rato for the alleged illicit origin of his fortune has come to an end after 56 sessions. The president of the court, Ángela Acevedo, informed all parties that they must now wait for the sentencing. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is requesting 63 years in prison for Rato, who is accused of 11 tax crimes, money laundering, and corruption between individuals.
Rato left prison in October 2020 after serving two years of a four and a half year sentence for a previous case. The possibility of returning to jail looms over him with the recent trial and potential sentencing. However, Rato could still appeal the sentence and avoid immediate imprisonment if he takes his case to the Supreme Court. The validity of the evidence presented in the trial, expert reports, and the origin of suspected assets will play a crucial role in determining Rato’s fate.
The trial began with challenges to the legality of evidence collected during investigation which were postponed for evaluation at sentencing phase. Expert reports presented during trial will also be scrutinized as they often influence outcome of cases involving tax crimes. Origin of Rato’s suspected assets including inheritance, bank accounts and consulting work remain under question with former politician claiming wealth clean money.
Magistrates will also have to consider whether others were involved in concealing Rato’s fortune and corrupt practices such as Domingo Plazas, Teresa Arellano and José Manuel Fernández Norniella whose roles are being examined. The outcome of trial and potential sentencing remains uncertain with many factors at play in determining Rato’s future
