The judge in the Stratvs case has demanded a bond of almost 900,000 euros from Juan Francisco Rosa, which he must deposit before the trial is held. Of that sum, 267,000 euros are to cover the fines to which he may be sentenced, and 405,426 for the sum that could be imposed on him as civil liability. To both figures, a third more is added, as established by the Criminal Procedure Law.
In addition, the judge also claims a high bond from the architect of the winery, Miguel Ángel Armas Matallana. In total, Armas must deposit 636,568 euros (72,000 as fines and 405,426 as civil liability, plus an added third of each amount). "All this", clarifies the judge, "without prejudice to the increases that subsequently proceed on the amounts as default interest, legal and procedural interest and late payment interest".
In her order, in which she orders the opening of oral proceedings, the judge gives Rosa and Armas Matallana five working days to deposit this bond. If, after that period, they do not comply with the requirement, the judge orders that assets of their property be seized "in sufficient quantity to cover said sum".
A good part of that figure corresponds to the sum that they would have to pay to the Negrín family, appearing as a private prosecution, in case of being convicted. Among other things, the Negrín family denounces that Rosa usurped land of their property to build the Stratvs macro-complex, which the businessman carried out without a license to do so and on land that he did not even own.
Between 15 and 21 years in prison
Along with Juan Francisco Rosa and Miguel Ángel Armas, another 15 people will sit in the dock, including public officials and officials from the Yaiza City Council, the Lanzarote Cabildo and the Government of the Canary Islands. The highest penalties are requested for Rosa and Armas. For the businessman, the Prosecutor's Office requests 15 years in prison, in addition to fines and civil liability, while the popular accusation demands 21 years in prison.
Regarding Armas, both the Prosecutor's Office and the rest of the accusations ask for 10 years in prison for alleged crimes of document forgery, crimes against land planning and the environment, a crime against historical heritage and another of usurpation.
In addition to being the architect of the winery and owner of a part of the land where Stratvs was built, the summary of the case points to Miguel Ángel Armas as a key piece in the "permanent deception" that, according to the Prosecutor's Office, surrounded the construction of the winery. A "deception" that ranges from the ownership of the land, which did not belong to Rosa, to the "concealment of the real promoter" in the first permit applications (which were processed in the name of Armas' wife), and also includes alleged crimes of document forgery, with alleged alterations even in the Cadastre.
