Juan Francisco Rosa's lawyer, José Antonio Choclán Montalvo, has requested a new suspension of the dates scheduled to hold the main trial of the Stratvs case, arguing once again that it coincides with appointments for other cases. Initially, the oral hearing was scheduled to begin next September, but at the request of this same lawyer, it was postponed until January 2020. Now, Choclán Montalvo is asking for a new date to be agreed upon, which would be the third.
In a letter sent on April 12 to the Sixth Section of the Provincial Court, Rosa's defense points out that on eight of the 22 days scheduled to hold the Stratvs trial, his attendance would be "impossible" because he has "other prior coinciding appointments", specifically a trial in Alicante and another in Valencia.
"In order to facilitate the work of this Illustrious Chamber in setting new dates, we indicate that this lawyer has no further appointments scheduled to date during 2020, except for the two trials already mentioned", he adds in his letter, adding which days in January and February he would also be occupied with those two hearings, so that the Court can adapt the Stratvs appointment to his agenda.
From Judge of the National Court to Lawyer in Notorious Corruption Cases
Choclán Montalvo, who was a magistrate of the National Court and is currently on leave, has become in recent years one of the leading lawyers in the country's main corruption cases, representing accused politicians and businessmen. In addition, he has also been hired by celebrities and multi-millionaire athletes who faced trials for crimes against the Public Treasury, such as Cristiano Ronaldo. Before Ronaldo, he also represented his former coach at Real Madrid, José Mourinho.
Choclán Montalvo arrived in Lanzarote four years ago with Juan Francisco Rosa, who decided to change his defense in the Stratvs case and hired this lawyer, who has also defended him in the Unión trial. In addition, in recent years he has been a lawyer for other Canary Island businessmen who must sit on the bench, such as Santiago Santana Cazorla and Miguel Ángel Ramírez. Now, he has also just been signed by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who has decided to entrust José Antonio Choclán Montalvo with his defense in the Grúas case, in which he will finally have to testify as an investigated party.
