Croatia initiates procedure to recall honorary consul in Barcelona

NEWS 23.02.202013:20
LLUIS GENE / AFP

Croatia intends to recall its honorary consul in Barcelona after Catalan authorities launched an investigation into allegations that he laundered money for a local criminal group.

Consul Juli Bárcena San José is suspected of having received money from drug sales and investing it into real estate and luxury cars, thus covering up the money trail for the criminal group.

“Honorary consuls do not resign, they can withdraw or be recalled by the country appointing them. In this case, the Republic of Croatia has decided to launch the procedure to recall the honorary consul,” the Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry told Hina.

“The procedure is underway, and after its completion, the Republic of Croatia will have no obligations whatsoever towards Mr Barcena. Possible investigative and judicial actions are within the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Spain, whose national Mr Barcena is,” the ministry said.

Bárcena San José is an entrepreneur and he was appointed Croatia’s honorary consul in May 2002, during then-President Stjepan Mesic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan.

Honorary consuls are usually not nationals of the country they represent but of the territory where they live, in this case, Catalonia, Spain.

They are people who have a good reputation in their community and they promote economic and cultural cooperation between two countries and provide assistance to the nationals of the country they represent.

The Catalan police opened the investigation into the case in 2017, after they arrested a man linked to a criminal gang running luxury car dealing operations in Barcelona.

On September 18, 2019, the police said that they had arrested four members of a well-known Catalan clan on the suspicion of money laundering and drug sales.

Further investigation revealed that the clan had connections with honorary consuls.

Three honorary consuls serving in Barcelona are being investigated, the Catalan police said in a statement for the media.

Under investigation are also the honorary consuls of Albania and Mali, José María Calmet Iglesias and José Luis López Fernández. They are suspected of the same offences as the Croatian honorary consul.

The four Spanish nationals arrested in September 2019 are charged with money laundering, drug dealing and tax fraud. They were released pending further proceedings. The trial in the case is ongoing.

Police believe the criminal network consists of 14 people. The suspects’ luxury cars, boat and real estate have been confiscated and police said they had found firearms and 200,000 euros in cash in their possession.