A high-profile investigation into the trade of diamonds mined under harsh exploitation in Sierra Leone is ongoing in Madrid. This time, former Andorran Finance Minister Jordi Cinca has come into the spotlight, having been invited to testify in court. His involvement is linked to the investigation of Spanish businessman Manuel Terrén Parserisas, who is suspected of organizing a money laundering scheme using proceeds from the sale of so-called ‘blood diamonds.’
Investigators have decided to broaden the scope of the case to include possible money laundering incidents. This move followed the submission of new police evidence pointing to additional financial misconduct. The public prosecutor supported this initiative, and the judge is now examining not only crimes against humanity and involvement in a criminal organization, but also financial crimes.
As part of the same case, two more individuals are under investigation: Terrén’s wife, Maria do Socorro T. H., and former president of the Andorran Chamber of Commerce, Marc P. P. Both have been summoned to court as suspects. In addition, the judge has ordered a request be sent to China to obtain information about a Hong Kong-based company that, according to investigators, was used in 2015 to transfer large sums to the accused’s wife’s accounts.
The investigation dates back to 2022, when a complaint was filed in court by a Sierra Leonean citizen. He claimed he had been forced to work in inhumane conditions at a diamond mine controlled by an armed group during the civil war. According to him, hundreds of others also worked alongside him, deprived of their freedom and subjected to violence.
The main suspect in the case remains a Spanish businessman who was detained in Malaga last summer. He is suspected of creating and running a scheme to launder proceeds from the sale of diamonds mined in the conflict zone. He is currently under a travel ban.
In August last year, the police asked the court to investigate whether shipments of weapons for armed groups in Sierra Leone had passed through the port of Bilbao. According to investigators, at least three shipments of weapons may have been sent through this port in the late 1990s and early 2000s, disguised as ordinary cargo. The conflict in Sierra Leone claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes.
