They allude to Rosselló and lobbyist Manuel Ortiz in recordings about Spanish scandal

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Washington - The names of former Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares and his lobbyist Manuel Ortiz - as well as references to a brother of the former chief executive who is not identified - have come to light in recordings related to one of the biggest recent scandals in Spain.

A former senior officer of the Spanish National Police Corps José Manuel Villarejo - accused of corruption, money laundering and persecuting adversaries of important businessmen - and his partners alluded to contacts with Ortiz and a brother of Rosselló Nevares as part of the efforts of a Chinese fund to buy part of the public debt and invest in Puerto Rico, according to the recordings released over the weekend by the VozPopuli publication .

Villarejo and its partners Adrián de la Joya and Enrique Maestre Cavanna sought in January 2017 to benefit economically from the efforts of the China Development Fund to buy public debt of Puerto Rico and make investments in infrastructure on the island, as part of a valued business at $ 30,000 million. Then, Villarejo and his partners aspired to receive a commission for that business.

According to the recordings, Master Cavanna, a lawyer by profession, linked Ortiz, who was Rosselló Nevares' main lobbyist in Washington and is a friend of the Rosselló family, to the conversations around the Chinese interest of investing in the island, led in the United States by former President Donald Trump campaign director Paul Manafort , convicted last March for bank and tax fraud.

The lobbyist Manuel Ortiz. (GFR Medium) The lobbyist Manuel Ortiz. (GFR Medium) "Manny went on Sunday to see the governor again," says Maestre Cavanna in one of the conversations about the frustrated Chinese business, which he had revealed in June 2017 the Political publication.

Ortiz, on the other hand, alleged on Twitter that the information published by VozPopuli is false and says, without mentioning Maestre Cavanna, that “never (has) had any professional or personal link with Messrs. Paul Manafort or José (Manuel) Villarejo) "

Then, Politico announced that Manafort had participated in the talks with Puerto Rico, on behalf of the Chinese fund. Manafort was investigated by former special prosecutor Robert Mueller in the case of Russian interference with the 2016 US elections in which Trump triumphed. He was sentenced last March to 47 months in jail for bank and tax fraud, in events not related to Russian interference.

The lobbyist Ortiz, who this four-year period has had contracts for $ 1.6 million with the Industrial Development Company (Pridco) through his company VantageKnight, would have collaborated in 2016 with Villarejo to prevent the United States from pressing for the extradition to Guatemala of the shipping company Spanish Angel Pérez Maura.

Maestre Cavanna, in another part of the recordings, tells Villarejo and de la Joya that he had dinner in Washington with “the governor's brother and his wife”, with whom he had already shared on two other occasions, to tell them about the business with the Chinese.

Attorney Maestre Cavanna said that when he left the restaurant, Rosselló's brother hinted that they could count on them. "He grabbed me and said: 'I don't have to say anything to you, do you? You know that anything, we are. You know that we know how to do things without anyone knowing,'" said Master Cavanna in the recording.

It is not clear with which brother -Jay or Luis Roberto-, Maestre Cavanna claims to have talked in those days.

As a private link in the conversations of the Spanish group on the interest of the Chinese fund in investing in the island was the businessman Héctor Hoyos.

Villarejo has been in provisional prison since November 2017.

Ortiz was considered the closest person in Washington to the then governor Rosselló Nevares.

At a time when the representative of the New Progressive Party (PNP) José Enrique “Quiquito” Meléndez has requested an investigation into the tax benefits that VantageKnight receives through law 22, the director of Pridco and secretary of Economic Development of Puerto Rico, Manuel Laboy said a few days ago that his office has not renewed the contract with that company.

Meléndez has also asked the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an investigation into the tax situation of VantageKnight, which has had its main operations in Washington, but since 2018 it also claims to have a subsidiary on the island.

In his statement today, the lobbyist Ortiz said that "a smear campaign against me has been organized with unquestionable purposes."

Washington - The names of former Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares and his lobbyist Manuel Ortiz - as well as references to a brother of the former chief executive who is not identified - have come to light in recordings related to one of the biggest recent scandals in Spain. A former senior officer of the Spanish National Police Corps José Manuel Villarejo - accused of corruption, money laundering and persecuting adversaries of important businessmen - and his partners alluded to contacts with Ortiz and a brother of Rosselló Nevares as part of the efforts of a Chinese fund to buy part of the public debt and invest in Puerto Rico, according to the recordings released over the weekend by the VozPopuli publication . Villarejo and its partners Adrián de la Joya and Enrique Maestre Cavanna sought in January 2017 to benefit economically from the efforts of the China Development Fund to buy public debt of Puerto Rico and make investments in infrastructure on the island, as part of a valued business at $ 30,000 million. Then, Villarejo and his partners aspired to receive a commission for that business. According to the recordings, Master Cavanna, a lawyer by profession, linked Ortiz, who was Rosselló Nevares' main lobbyist in Washington and is a friend of the Rosselló family, to the conversations around the Chinese interest of investing in the island, led in the United States by former President Donald Trump campaign director Paul Manafort , convicted last March for bank and tax fraud. The lobbyist Manuel Ortiz. (GFR Medium) The lobbyist Manuel Ortiz. (GFR Medium) "Manny went on Sunday to see the governor again," says Maestre Cavanna in one of the conversations about the frustrated Chinese business, which he had revealed in June 2017 the Political publication. Ortiz, on the other hand, alleged on Twitter that the information published by VozPopuli is false and says, without mentioning Maestre Cavanna, that “never (has) had any professional or personal link with Messrs. Paul Manafort or José (Manuel) Villarejo) " Then, Politico announced that Manafort had participated in the talks with Puerto Rico, on behalf of the Chinese fund. Manafort was investigated by former special prosecutor Robert Mueller in the case of Russian interference with the 2016 US elections in which Trump triumphed. He was sentenced last March to 47 months in jail for bank and tax fraud, in events not related to Russian interference. The lobbyist Ortiz, who this four-year period has had contracts for $ 1.6 million with the Industrial Development Company (Pridco) through his company VantageKnight, would have collaborated in 2016 with Villarejo to prevent the United States from pressing for the extradition to Guatemala of the shipping company Spanish Angel Pérez Maura. Maestre Cavanna, in another part of the recordings, tells Villarejo and de la Joya that he had dinner in Washington with “the governor's brother and his wife”, with whom he had already shared on two other occasions, to tell them about the business with the Chinese. Attorney Maestre Cavanna said that when he left the restaurant, Rosselló's brother hinted that they could count on them. "He grabbed me and said: 'I don't have to say anything to you, do you? You know that anything, we are. You know that we know how to do things without anyone knowing,'" said Master Cavanna in the recording. It is not clear with which brother -Jay or Luis Roberto-, Maestre Cavanna claims to have talked in those days. As a private link in the conversations of the Spanish group on the interest of the Chinese fund in investing in the island was the businessman Héctor Hoyos. Villarejo has been in provisional prison since November 2017. Ortiz was considered the closest person in Washington to the then governor Rosselló Nevares. At a time when the representative of the New Progressive Party (PNP) José Enrique “Quiquito” Meléndez has requested an investigation into the tax benefits that VantageKnight receives through law 22, the director of Pridco and secretary of Economic Development of Puerto Rico, Manuel Laboy said a few days ago that his office has not renewed the contract with that company. Meléndez has also asked the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an investigation into the tax situation of VantageKnight, which has had its main operations in Washington, but since 2018 it also claims to have a subsidiary on the island. In his statement today, the lobbyist Ortiz said that "a smear campaign against me has been organized with unquestionable purposes."

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