Pescanova chief tried to transfer funds to China after being indicted

Rosario Andrade, the wife of the former chairman of failed Spanish seafood processor Pescanova, Manuel Fernández de Sousa-Faro tried to send $5.2 million (four million euros) to a bank in China after proceedings for a number of alleged offenses, including fraud, in connection with Pescanova’s books, were initiated against her husband, judicial sources said Friday.

Six days after Fernández de Sousa was indicated on false accounting charges, Andrade opened a bank account in Portugal in the name of a Spanish company of which she is the dole administrator. In August, the account received two remittances, one for four million euros and another for 236,000 euros from a company named Kiwi España, which is controlled by Fernández Sousa. Andrade later ordered $5.2 million from the Portuguese account to be transferred to an account she held with Bank of China.

However, the Portuguese authorities informed their Spanish authorities of the transfer of funds from Spain and blocked the account in Portugal, preventing the money making its way to China. A Spanish High Court judge then ordered the accounts of Andrade and Fernández de Sousa and those of companies they controlled.

Pescanova is currently in the hands of the receiver. The company has financial debt of 3.281 billion euros and a negative net worth of 927 million.