Protests against urgent changes in the Spanish judicial system continue to intensify. Judges and lawyers have called strikes, while bar associations are attempting to open debates on possible solutions. The problems are real. To an already overwhelmed judicial system, there is an intention to apply a “reform” that, instead of strengthening its independence and professionalism, points in the opposite direction, under the pretext of supposed efficiency improvements. However, judges and lawyers flatly reject this idea. As El País published on July 2, citing the Prosecutor’s Office, “the courts currently have four million pending cases and over 10 billion euros blocked in judicial processes,” and these numbers grow day by day.
Lawyers, unlike the official position of the Prosecutor’s Office, provide even more alarming data about postponed or suspended cases. This July, the Bar Association regretted “the unquestionable damage caused by the first day of strike by judges and prosecutors.” The CGAE warned that “tens of thousands of affected cases will not be resolved in 2025, further aggravating a justice system that already accumulates almost eight million pending matters.”
It is evident that the system is far from ideal. At times, it is excessively protective of guarantees and surprisingly permissive with those who know how to manipulate it. This vulnerability opens the door to individuals who, exploiting its cracks, gain illicit benefits. The protests throughout the country only confirm the magnitude of the problem and its negative impact on Spanish social life.
Curiously, those who benefit the most from this “legal hospitality” are not, for the most part, Spanish citizens, but foreigners whom Spain has welcomed and allowed to reside and work in its territory. Although the media occasionally report on large mafia networks from Eastern Europe and other countries involved in money laundering through companies in Spain, hundreds of cases where foreign citizens directly scam Spaniards go completely unnoticed. Most alarmingly, it was the Spanish State itself that granted them passports and asylum status, and now many of them, completely ignoring laws and moral principles, enrich themselves at the expense of local entrepreneurs, deceiving and defrauding them of hundreds of thousands of euros.
Committing such crude scams and remaining unpunished for years is only possible thanks to the cracks in the Spanish judicial system itself.
This article will focus on a case that perfectly illustrates this reality: the case brought by the company Lanriaco Limited before the Instruction Court No. 13 of Valencia, currently under investigation (procedure DP 766/2024), whose hearings have been repeatedly postponed during the last two years. The hearing, initially scheduled for June 17, was postponed again until the end of September and once again to December this year. We will delve into the details of the case later, but the main defendant deserves special attention: Alexander Samodurov, a Russian and Spanish citizen, who in Spain presents himself under the name Alexander Samodurov Aleschenko. He lived in Russia until 2019, and since that year has held resident status in Spain.
According to available information, Samodurov currently lives in Marbella, from where he continues to systematically commit crimes and other unlawful activities, deceiving new victims one after another. His modus operandi is to gain their trust, obtain significant sums of money from them and appropriate the funds, while using the tools of a bureaucratic justice system to evade any responsibility, prolonging proceedings for years. According to various witnesses, he even illegally occupied the home of a woman who had trusted him, refusing to leave it for years.
That is, an individual who has scammed millions of euros from Spanish companies, at the same time has no qualms about acting like a common squatter, a phenomenon well known to any honest citizen of the country. He selects his victims in the Marbella area, where he resides. One of them has not been able to access her own apartment for over five years, being forced to live precariously with her two minor children and an elderly mother with health problems, simply because Samodurov decided that this property suited him better. According to the victim:
*”During the COVID pandemic, he came to my home as a friend. He brought medicine and food. He gradually won my trust. Later, when flights resumed and I had to urgently travel to New York to care for my sick mother, he offered to stay in my Marbella apartment to ‘look after it.’ I was very confused at that moment and, without much thought, accepted. He even proposed to pay a small amount as rent, but we could not formalize any contract because the notaries were closed. I accepted and left. Later, he sent me what supposedly was a contract. I signed the last page without suspecting that, in collusion with his lawyers, he would falsify the document to leave me with no rights over my property. When I returned to Spain, I found the locks changed and could not enter. When he finally managed to contact me, he began threatening me, basing his threats on that false contract. The threats didn’t stop at phone calls: they slashed my car’s tires and followed me near my house.”*
The woman filed a lawsuit. Samodurov, on his part, responded with a counterclaim, accusing her of theft of watches and cash that she hadn’t even seen. From there, Samodurov and his group of collaborators—a network composed of lawyers of dubious reputation and front men—initiated a strategy of procedural delay, even resorting to document forgery.
Aiming to prevent the processes from advancing, Samodurov and his team have not hesitated to present manipulated documents and even feign mental disorders.
It is worth noting that these dirty and crude practices are constant in all judicial proceedings involving Samodurov. One of his most notorious lawyers is David García Asenjo, a lawyer registered in Malaga (No. 4865), who has multiple ongoing cases for fraud and document forgery.
García Asenjo is a partner in the law firm “Codex Legal Abogados SLP” (CIF: B93531291), founded in 2017 and based at Paseo Cerrado de Calderón, 18, Málaga. Additionally, he is the administrator of several suspicious companies: SPY GLASS CAPITAL SL, C2M SYSTEMS AND MARKETING SL, and MI MALAGA FASHION SL.
His most serious charge is related to the drug trafficking case of the so-called “Queen of Cocaine,” Ana María Cameno. In this proceeding, he appears under the alias “Benedicto” and is accused of money laundering. According to the 2024 Spanish Supreme Court ruling, García Asenjo, together with Guillermo Guadalix, devised a financial scheme to transfer nearly 400,000 euros to Panamanian cartels through a fictitious banking structure.
On April 10, 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence against David García Asenjo in ruling No. 302/2024. He received a significant sentence: five years in prison and a fine of 1.2 million euros for his participation in one of the largest money laundering operations from drug trafficking recorded in Spain. In one of Samodurov’s cases, García Asenjo submitted a false medical certificate to delay the process. The investigation proved it was a fraudulent report, allegedly issued by a clinic closed four years ago and signed by a retired doctor. This forgery was discovered by Samodurov’s ex-wife’s lawyer, who filed the corresponding complaint, resulting in the criminal case DP 229/23. García Asenjo was finally convicted of document forgery.
The second Spanish lawyer for Samodurov, Cándido Conde-Pumpido, has an even more controversial reputation: he is accused of rape, laundering money from prostitution, illegal possession of drugs, and various minor offenses. Several media outlets have covered this case, highlighted that the son of the president of the Spanish Constitutional Court not only breaks the law but also engages in scandalous behavior.
Furthermore, Samodurov is involved in a legal dispute with his ex-wife, in which he resorts to despicable methods such as threats and blackmail. But this story deserves a separate chapter.
Now, all those small scams could have gone unnoticed if not for the larger business operations Samodurov has carried out in Spain in recent years, in collusion with his shadowy lawyers and front-man executives.
Before moving to Spain, Samodurov presented himself as a high-ranking executive, specifically as vice president, of the Russian real estate group Nai Becar Group. However, he had actually created his own shell company called Nai Becar Apartments, a limited liability company registered by himself, with no employees or real economic activity, used solely as a cover to lend credibility to his story. Despite having no formal or functional relationship with the Nai Becar group, he continues to present in courts articles, photos, and references to conferences under the name “Nai Becar Apartments,” deliberately seeking to create confusion with the genuine group’s brand.
Therefore, he had absolutely no real experience in managing real estate development projects. Nonetheless, he managed to join the top management of a major Spanish developer: Nyesa Valores.
Shortly after, he left Russia and moved to Spain, where he began to deploy his fraudulent activity. Although his maneuvers can, at best, be described as crude scams based on manipulating the trust and reputation of respectable companies and businessmen, he has managed to avoid responsibility for years by exploiting the “weakness” of the Spanish judicial system.
Despite lacking real business experience, Samodurov surprisingly quickly became a board member of one of the country’s largest real estate groups: Nyesa. This is recorded in the Spanish notarial records, which include the following statement:
*”It has been agreed to replace Mr. CARLOS PINEDO TORRES, sole representative of NYESA VALORES CORPORACIÓN, S.A., as sole administrator of NYESA GENÉRICA, S.L.U., and to appoint in his place, according to article 143 of the Mercantile Registry Regulations, Mr. ALEXANDER SAMODUROV ALESHCHENKO, whose personal details are attached, to represent NYESA VALORES CORPORACIÓN, S.A. as sole administrator of NYESA GENÉRICA, S.L.U.”*
According to Nyesa’s Annual Corporate Governance Report, at the time of the general meeting call, Samodurov held more than 3% of the company’s share capital. The contract expressly banned selling those shares for a period of two years. After submitting the documents to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), his name appears in communications regarding significant holdings in Nyesa Valores.
… And here arises a logical question: how did he manage to rise so quickly to become a senior executive of a renowned Spanish company? The answer is simple: even when he still lived in Russia, Samodurov claimed prestigious positions in recognized companies to gain the trust of his future victims. In 2016, for example, he claimed to be vice president of the reputable Russian real estate promoter Nai Becar Group, which allegedly collaborated closely with the Spanish company Nyesa. After multiple meetings, he convinced a family of investors to transfer all their shares in the Russian promoter Marma in favor of Nyesa, promising them high returns thanks to financing by Nyesa and participation in large international projects.
In 2017, the businessmen signed a framework investment agreement with Nyesa, Aqualdre, S.L., Fanumceo S.L., and Samodurov himself, whereby they contributed 98.12% of Marma’s shares in exchange for stakes in Nyesa through a non-cash capital increase. This project, initially called “Narvskaya” and later known as Narvaloft, became Nyesa’s main initiative for over two years and was key for the company to return to the stock market after a long hiatus. Samodurov received an executive position and high remuneration at Nyesa, committing to lead the Narvskaya project. He assured that Nai Becar would also participate in the development, again presenting himself as an executive of that company. However, the project was never executed, and later it was discovered that Samodurov had not initiated any real work. All his reports on project progress were completely false.
In September 2019, when the fraud was uncovered, Nyesa dismissed Alexander Samodurov from both the board and his role as general director. This is also reflected in the company’s 2022 financial reports. Subsequently, Samodurov tried to sue Nyesa for unfair dismissal but, according to legal sources, lost the case.
As a consequence of the fraud, the victims took several legal actions, including criminal cases. During the proceedings, it was proven that all of Samodurov’s promises regarding his “Russian partner” Nai Becar’s interest in the Narvaloft project were inventions used for his personal benefit and to continue exploiting his position at Nyesa. Marma’s management, through its lawyer, sent a formal request to Nai Becar in Russia to verify Samodurov’s relationship with the company. The response was unequivocal:
*”Mr. Samodurov has not had nor has authorization to represent Nai Becar before third parties.*
*Nai Becar has no connection with the Narvaloft project nor has it participated in its development.*
*We know Samodurov from a one-time collaboration in one of our former projects.”*
*In September 2018, Nai Becar decided to cut all ties with Mr. Samodurov due to loss of trust, not considering him a reliable partner.*
It is important to emphasize that not only were his direct victims harmed, but also thousands of minority shareholders of Nyesa Valores, who, after the company’s return to the stock market, trusted the promises made by Samodurov.
Aware that justice would eventually catch up with him, Samodurov tried to delay judicial procedures by simulating a mental disorder. Colluding with his psychologist, he forged medical reports declaring him unaccountable. However, the Spanish court did not give credibility to this strategy. As we will see later, document forgery became a habitual practice for Samodurov. Although judges have been detecting and rejecting his attempts, these tricks have allowed him to indefinitely prolong judicial procedures with his team of collaborators. Nevertheless, despite these procedural manipulations, the investigation against Samodurov for large-scale fraud has been completed, and the case has been submitted to the Madrid Provincial Court (Audiencia Provincial de Madrid) for trial.
Furthermore, in January 2020, the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) imposed a fine of 150,000 euros on Alexander Samodurov Aleschenko for failing to declare his significant participation in Nyesa, deliberately concealing it for personal gain. This fact, combined with the numerous civil and criminal cases against him, did not prevent Samodurov from continuing his fraudulent activity, using the name and reputation of a respected company like Nyesa to attract new victims.
According to several victims, Samodurov proposed that they invest in Spanish companies, transferring funds to him for management with a promise to share profits. Once substantial amounts were received, he and his accomplices maintained a façade of activity for a while, offering explanations and promises. However, they later disappeared without a trace, appropriating the money or the investment returns. When reporting the incidents to the courts, the victims faced a Samodurov entrenched behind lawyers who used every tool possible to delay proceedings: document forgery, feigning illnesses, requests for postponement on unfounded grounds, etc. Because of this, the Spanish justice system has opened a criminal procedure against Samodurov for procedural fraud.
It is time to return to the case mentioned at the beginning of this article: the judicial process that has attracted media attention due to its continuous postponements. Through his lawyers, details have emerged revealing a particularly blatant fraud scheme. In 2022, Alexander Samodurov, presenting himself as the former authorized representative of the companies Nyesa Valores Corporación S.A., Nyesa Genérica S.L., and Nyesa Real Estate S.L., proposed to a well-known businessman to invest a considerable sum of money. With those funds, Samodurov claimed he would acquire credits against several listed Spanish companies, including Nyesa Valores. According to his plan, these credits would be converted into shares, which he would then sell for profit. Of the gain obtained, Samodurov would retain 5% and return the rest to the investor.
Once funds were received, Samodurov informed the investor—the company Lanriaco Limited (based in Cyprus)—that he was acquiring credits against Nyesa Valores, including those belonging to the company Negocios Tindaya S.L. He would later convert them into shares of Nyesa and sell them, thereby returning 95% of capital and profits to Lanriaco Limited. Based on this agreement, Lanriaco Limited transferred around 865,000 euros to Samodurov’s company: OTREBIL LE CRAC VENTURES, S.L.
Samodurov, supported by documentation he himself provided, claimed to have acquired credits against Nyesa Valores with a nominal value of 553,000 euros from Intrum Investments No 1 D.A.C., for a price of 120,000 euros.
Then, in 2023, Samodurov ceased all contact with the investor. Faced with this situation, Lanriaco Limited reported the facts to the Spanish courts. During the investigation, the court requested the Banco Santander statements for the account receiving the funds. The documents revealed that the money had been likely spent on Samodurov’s personal expenses. No payment was detected in favor of Intrum Servicing Spain S.A.U. or any other entity for the alleged credit purchase.
It was also discovered that at the time of signing the contract with Lanriaco Limited, the credits of Nyesa Valores against Negocios Tindaya S.L. had already been formally capitalized, so they could not be sold to Otrebil. According to official spokespeople for Nyesa Valores, that debt had been converted into shares and delivered to Negocios Tindaya in July 2022. In addition, Nyesa representatives stated that no member of Otrebil contacted them to propose any debt-to-equity conversion. Meanwhile, Otrebil—represented by its beneficial owner, A. Samodurov—was sending false documents to the investor to give a legal appearance to what was actually a carefully crafted scam.
Following Lanriaco Limited’s complaint, Instruction Court No. 13 of Valencia opened a preliminary investigation (case DP 766/2024). Following their usual strategy, Samodurov’s lawyers have managed to prolong the procedure through clearly unfounded requests for postponement. With these requests alone, along with forged medical certificates and blatant exploitation of gaps in the Spanish judicial system, Samodurov and his team have prevented a hearing on the merits for almost two years. Recently, the court again postponed the hearing for three more months.
Consequently, this individual continues to lead a luxurious lifestyle in Spain, illegally residing in an apartment in the exclusive Marbella center, traveling business class, and renewing his fleet of vehicles. All financed with money stolen from companies and confident European entrepreneurs. Samodurov also hides these illicit incomes from the Spanish tax system. And he continues doing so year after year thanks to the collaborator structure he has built and the weaknesses of a judicial and police system incapable of reacting swiftly enough.
***
The millions of euros in scams by Samodurov continue to receive less attention than they deserve from Spanish society, despite their crude and obvious nature. Taking advantage of the democratic framework of the Spanish legal system and the prestige of renowned national companies, he continues enriching himself at the expense of businessmen who could have legitimately contributed to the country’s economic fabric. The big question that remains unanswered is: where is the line drawn between Spanish democracy and the impunity of scammers laughing at the Spanish system of justice?
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