Madrid court orders new trial for nightclub magnate Pedro Trapote on tax fraud charges

Madrid's Audiencia Provincial has set aside a prior acquittal of Pedro Trapote, the entrepreneur behind the iconic Pachá and Joy Eslava nightclubs and the historic San Ginés chocolatería, and ordered a repeat criminal trial on corporate tax fraud allegations. Judges explained that the earlier hearing omitted testimony from a crucial tax inspector, creating a procedural imbalance for the fiscal prosecution. The retrial will examine accusations that Trapote's company failed to pay corporate tax over several years, a dispute that has persisted alongside other tax cases involving his venues.

Trapote, who rose to prominence in the 1980s Madrid nightlife scene, has previously served a prison term for VAT fraud and faces ongoing litigation that is now pending before the Supreme Court. The tax authority had earlier seized records from his clubs in 2016, leading to multiple investigations into alleged evasion of both VAT and corporate taxes. The new proceedings will also consider the legality of evidence gathered during those 2016 inspections.