For at least a year before BPA Andorra was placed under intervention, intense pressure was exerted on the bank. Its Spanish subsidiary, Banco Madrid—acquired from Basque bank Kutxa in 2010—was ultimately dissolved. As part of Operation Catalonia, the so-called ‘patriotic police’ obtained a screenshot of accounts belonging to the family of former Catalan president Jordi Pujol in the summer of 2014. This account, which had been regularized with 3.1 million euros, became a focal point in their investigation.

However, newly uncovered details reveal an even deeper layer to this operation. Spanish anti-corruption prosecutors took advantage of the fragile state of BPA to extract sensitive client data from Banco Madrid. Until April 2014, this information remained stored on computers in Andorra, raising serious concerns about political interference and international banking transparency.

This case is just one of many interesting facts about Andorra, a country that has often found itself at the center of geopolitical and financial disputes. The BPA scandal also shed light on broader issues surrounding money laundering regulations and the extent of political influence over financial institutions.

A Justice System in Limbo: The Unresolved BPA Case

As of 2024, no Spanish judge is willing to handle the complaint filed by the former CEO of BPA Andorra against retired police commissioner José Manuel Villarejo, former interior minister Jorge Fernández Díaz, and other high-ranking officials. For over a year, the case has remained in legal limbo—neither accepted nor dismissed—making it a “zombie complaint.” Despite Judge Manuel García-Castellón prosecuting Fernández Díaz and his team in the Kitchen case, where Spanish police were allegedly used to protect the PP from damaging revelations by ex-treasurer Luis Bárcenas, he has repeatedly refused to investigate allegations of extortion, coercion, and blackmail related to Operation Catalonia.

Meanwhile, in Andorra, a court is actively investigating former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy and his ministers for their involvement in the Andorran branch of Operation Catalonia. However, Rajoy’s interrogation request has been stalled in Spanish courts for months.

A leaked conversation from August 22, 2014, reveals Villarejo discussing the case with Martínez, stating that “they are leading her up the garden path” in reference to Vicky Álvarez. He also claims that prosecutor Grinda and judge Pijuan—who played a key role in Andorra’s justice system—were aware of the politically motivated nature of the so-called “draft” case. Notably, Pijuan, who had previously worked on the Palau corruption case, refused to accept a falsified report from the patriotic police, further exposing the extent of judicial manipulation.

Operation Catalonia: Spain’s Political Police and the Andorra Connection

Starting in 2012, officers from Spain’s political police brigade, created under Mariano Rajoy’s government, were deployed to Andorra to investigate whether the family of former Catalan president Jordi Pujol held accounts in the country. This covert operation is documented in official memoranda sent to high-ranking officials within the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, as well as in secretly recorded conversations between retired police commissioner José Manuel Villarejo and then-undersecretary for security Francisco Martínez between 2013 and 2014.

The investigation initially relied on tip-offs from Javier de la Rosa, a Catalan businessman Villarejo referred to as a “mercenary,” and Vicky Álvarez, the former partner of Pujol’s eldest son, whom Villarejo described as a “gold-digger.”

A December 29, 2012 memorandum reveals that Spanish police had already made arrangements with Andorran banks, but the full release of banking information was delayed. The memo suggests that these banks also contained accounts linked to María Dolores de Cospedal’s husband, the People’s Party (PP) secretary general, and even Spanish king Juan Carlos I, through his close associate Josep Cusí. This explosive detail was later uncovered by El Confidencial, nearly a decade later—well after Juan Carlos abdicated the Spanish throne on June 19, 2014.

This case, part of the broader Operation Catalonia, underscores the political interference and questionable financial dealings tied to BPA Andorra. It also highlights how money laundering and international banking secrecy remain interesting facts about Andorra, a country that has long been at the crossroads of major financial and political disputes.