Algeciras (Cádiz), (EFE) sentences in accordance with 62 of them, the withdrawal of the accusation to another twenty-six more declared in default of proceedings by not appearing at trial.
The president of the court has closed the session after taking a statement from the 62 defendants who have accepted the facts after their defense reached an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, not detailed in the courtroom.
According to legal sources, most of these agreements correspond to sentences of two years in prison for defendants considered members of the lower echelons of the Castaña organization, allegedly dedicated to the introduction of hashish into Spain from Morocco.
Preliminary issues before trial
In the case of another twenty defendants, the Prosecutor’s Office has agreed to withdraw the accusation, for which they are exempted from the case, while another six defendants declare themselves in default of proceedings after not having appeared at trial, for which a search warrant is issued. to try to locate them.
As announced by the president of the court, this Tuesday (and in some cases, on Wednesday, due to the impossibility of doing so tomorrow), the preliminary issues raised by both parties will be addressed, before beginning the development of the trial.
For the same, the judge had planned 32 sessions, although today she has indicated that she hopes that the final qualifications can be announced on June 26 after 28 sessions, in what is the largest trial for drug trafficking in the history of Spain.
The Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office claims for Antonio Tejón, considered the leader of the organization, 15 years and 9 months in prison and a fine of 104 million euros for crimes against public health, reception and smuggling -for the use of prohibited drug boats- and belonging to criminal group.
Network with incessant activity
In the indictment, to which EFE has had access, the Prosecutor’s Office considers that even when he was in prison he managed to weave a network with an “incessant” activity to introduce hashish caches on the Andalusian coasts from Morocco capable of operating even during confinement due to the covid pandemic.
The Junta de Andalucía has invested more than 150,000 euros to adapt the courthouse for this case, using four rooms connected by screens and a computer system.
One of them is the hearing room on the first floor, which houses the court, prosecutors and lawyers, as well as the majority of the defendants, and another three on the ground floor for the rest of the defendants. EFE