Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA) and Alonso Ancira have the will and interest to pay more than 216 million dollars (mdd), as compensation for the damage to Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in the sale of assets of a fertilizer plant, says Mauricio Flores Castro, defense attorney for the businessman dedicated to the steel industry.
“There is absolute respect for the presidential figure and the intervention of the president was ordering to make the payment, and in the end the president (of the Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador) asked for a payment to be made and this is what Altos Hornos intends to do and there are no conflicting interests with the President of the Republic, ”says the defender of Alonso Ancira.
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“There is all the will to pay and to that extent it is important to be clear: the president wants it to be paid and Altos Hornos de México will pay,” he tells Forbes Mexico.
Altos Hornos de México will pay the 216 million pesos in due time and form to nullify a complaint by Petróleos Mexicanos against Alonso Ancira, since the guarantees and the trust were established as agreed in the Reparatory Agreement, he adds.
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“August 23, 2021 was the deadline to establish guarantees, which were made, and received by Petróleos Mexicanos. After Pemex, he said that one of the 30 guarantees that he did not like, especially they want the trust to be created in Mexico and we set it up in the United States, ”says Mauricio Flores Castro.
“The trust was created in the United States, because Pemex determined the means of payment in dollars and the United States as a place of payment. Altos Hornos is going to pay the 216 million dollars through an account opened in a US bank ”.
Alonso Ancira Elizondo’s lawyer explains that the guarantees have already been established and there is no risk that the criminal proceedings will be resumed, because Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has not requested it so far.
“Pemex has not asked for the cancellation of the Reparatory Agreement, but is asking to perfect a guarantee,” he says.
The trust was created in the United States, a serious country, which gives Pemex certainty: “the US financial system is safer than any other financial system in the world.”
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“And Pemex does not want to leave without matter the Reparatory Agreement signed with Alonso Ancira and Altos Hornos de México, but they run out of money and neither do we want that,” says Mauricio Flores Castro.
“There is no risk of reactivating the criminal case, but if there is, it is to the detriment of Pemex because they lose 216 million dollars,” says Alonso Ancira’s lawyer.
On September 2, 2021, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called on businessman Alonso Ancira to comply with the agreements established with the federal government regarding the Agro Nitrogenados plant and warned him that he will not have any benefit.
“They are badly advising Mr. Ancira. Hopefully and reflect, because if you had made an agreement, what is appropriate is that you comply with it. You are not going to make a profit; If you search with legal lawyers, you want to turn around what has already been agreed. He should be grateful, he knows very well that he overpriced that plant, “said the founder of Morena.
“With the total payment of the amount of 216 million 664 thousand dollars, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and Pemex Transformación Industrial will be satisfied with the payment of repair of the damage caused by the surcharge of the sale of the Agro Nitrogenados plant, which they charge to Alonso Ancira Elizondo, ”says the Reparatory Agreement signed between the Mexican oil company and the owner of Altos Hornos.
The document published by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) indicates that Altos Hornos de México and Alonso Ancira Elizondo accepted that in breach of the Reparatory Agreement, the guarantee granted on the shares in Grupo Acerero del Norte, a holding company of Altos Hornos de México, which represents 99% of the capital stock of the latter.
On February 10, 2021, Alonso Ancira was linked to proceedings for the crime of operations with resources of illicit origin in the sale of the Agro Nitrogenados plant to Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
Read: Government ventilates alleged trips to politicians paid by Alonso Ancira
The king of steel, as it is known, encouraged an illegal activity in the sale of a junk plant where they manufacture fertilizers for the agricultural industry.
Emilio Lozoya Austin, former director of Pemex, and his sister Giselle Lozoya Austin were co-authors and helped Alonso Ancira Elizondo in laundering money from the purchase and sale of the Agronitrogenados plant.
“The President of the Republic ordered us to make a payment and not to default, so we are not going to default and we already comply with the constitution of guarantees and on November 30, 2021 we will make the first payment,” says Mauricio Flores Castro, defense attorney scored by Alonso Ancira.
– Did Altos Hornos and Alonso Ancira breach the creation of a trust and the delivery of guarantees as established in the Reparatory Agreement? – The lawyer for the steel businessman was questioned.
– We do not fail to comply, because August 23, 2021 was the deadline to establish guarantees, which were made, and were received by Petróleos Mexicanos. After Pemex he said that one of the 30 guarantees that he did not like, especially they want the trust to be created in Mexico and we set it up in the United States. They have not given view with the opinion of Pemex.
–Have Altos Hornos and Alonso Ancira already created the entire route to pay Pemex?
The guarantees and the trust are already in the United States. Now only the payment dates come, if on November 30, 2021 we do not pay; at that point, Pemex can execute the guarantees, which are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
–Will Altos Hornos and Alonso Ancira make the payment as agreed in the Repair Agreement with Pemex?
“Yes, that’s what we’re going to do.” There are several relevant topics where it shows the fulfillment of the Reparation Agreement and the guarantees have already been established. And there is only one controversy in one of the 30 guarantees, since it was established in the United States and they want it in Mexico. It was never ever agreed that it was in Mexico and the Reparatory Agreement did not determine where to set up the trust.
Lee: Alonso Ancira agreed to pay 216 million dollars and not to denounce former officials: lawyer
–Doesn’t the Reparatory Agreement establish where to create the trust, if it says when?
– Exactly, that is the fundamental thing and something more important; If Pemex revives the matter due to a secondary issue not agreed upon, then it will be left with nothing and the Reparatory Agreement will be completely undone.
–Do Alonso Ancira and Altos Hornos de México have all the willingness to pay Pemex?
—All the willingness to pay. And if we had not wanted to pay, the guarantees are simply not established and that’s it. Today, as long as the guarantees are valid, because Pemex charges itself, that is not the idea because it would stay with the company.
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