It won't be until next October that the case against 13 people standing accused of killing horses in order to cash in insurance claims will be held.

The Guardia Civil launched Operación Picar in 2016 which uncovered the fraudulent scheme and eventually presented the evidence to the Public Prosecutor for trial.

That’s six years between arrests and standing trial. The trial was originally set for last month but it was postponed… virtually a year… because the hearing was going to coincide with another case in which one of the lawyers was involved.

The Public Prosecutor, or Fiscal, as they are known in Spain, will present his case against the 13 accused, two of whom are veterinary surgeons. They stand accused of fraud (in one case for a sum of 9,500 euros) 18 counts of attempted fraud, 15 counts of cruelty to animals and five counts of forgery.

He is recommending prison sentences ranging from six years imprisonment to nine months imprisonment. In the case of one of the vets, he is asking for a 30-month prison sentence and a fine of 3,000 euros. whilst the other vet faces nine months and a 2,400 euro fine, if the P.P.’s recommendations are accepted by the judge.

The incidents occurred between May 2013 and October 2014 when the gang allegedly provoked the death of these horses in order to cash in insurance policies on them. It all began to unravel when one of the insurance companies presented their suspicions over four deaths before the Guardia Civil.

The accused had reportedly bought horses cheaply and then with the help of the vets passed them off as thorough breeds so that they could insure them for between 19,000 and 30,000 euros.

Lastly, this insurance fraud was not restricted to just Baeza (Jaén) but also as far away as Navalperal de Pinares (Ávila) .

(News: Spain)