Emerita Announces Completion of Hearings to Resolve Criminal Charges Related to the Awarding of Aznalcóllar Public Tender
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Emerita Announces Completion of Hearings to Resolve Criminal Charges
Related to the Awarding of Aznalcóllar Public Tender
TORONTO, July 16, 2025 -- Emerita Resources Corp. (TSX – V: EMO; OTCQB: EMOTF; FSE: LLJA) (the
“Company” or “ Emerita”) announces that the Third Section of the Provincial Court of Seville (the
“Court”) has completed the hearings for the criminal trial on the alleged crimes committed during
the process of awarding the Aznalcóllar tender (the “Trial”). The hearings commenced on March 3,
2025 and were completed on July 15, 2025. The Trial judges, Angel Márquez Romero (President of
the Court), Luis G. de Oro -Pulido Sanz and Carmen Pilar Caracuel Raya, wi ll now prepare their
rulings on the criminal allegations.
The Trial judges listened to and reviewed the testimonies and arguments of each of the defendants,
plaintiffs and intervenors in the context of the volume of evidence that has been collected to support
the charges against the defendants. The verdicts will be delivered in the form of a written resolution
that will be delivered to the legal counsel of the parties involved. This is a large trial with 16
defendants and Emerita believes that this process will likely not conclude until sometime after the
summer shut down, in the fall.
The 16 defendants, include members of the panel responsible for evaluating and awarding the
tender, as well as proprietors of a Spanish company, Minorbis S.L., face potential prison sentences,
financial fines and bars from being employed in the public service, for the alleged rigging of the
Aznalcóllar mining public tender, including accusations of influence peddling, fraud, embezzlement
and prevarication.
David Gower, P.Geo., CEO of Emerita , states: “Emerita looks forward to the resolution of the trial
now that the hearings have been completed. We will not speculate on the outcome of this important,
and ongoing legal process, however the Company feels it was strongly represented. We do not
believe the testimony from the accused or their supporting witnesses refute previous court rulings
that led to the various charges being levied. In our experience through the extensive appeals leading
to the Trial, as well as the Company’s experience in the legal process to obtain its Iberian Belt West
project in Spain, the Spanish judiciary have been completely independent and we expect justice will
prevail. Emerita’s goal has consistently been, and continues to be, to develop the Aznalcóllar
property as a modern, long -life mining operation that will operate at the highest standards of
environmental stewardship, employee and community safety.”
About Emerita Resources Corp.
Emerita is a natural resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of
mineral properties in Europe, with a primary focus on exploring in Spain. The Company’s corporate
office and technical team are based in Sevilla, Spain with an administrative office in Toronto,
Canada.
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For further information, contact:
Ian Parkinson
+1 647 910-2500 (Toronto)
www.emeritaresources.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information
This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable
Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation,
statements regarding the prospectivity of Aznalcóllar, the awarding of the public tender , results,
timing and impact of the Aznalcóllar litigation and administrative processes and the Company’s
future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward- looking
terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”,
“estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anti cipate”, or “believes”, or
variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”,
“would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward-looking information is
subject to known and unknown risk s, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual
results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Emerita, as the case may be, to be
materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including
but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties;
the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign
jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and
other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Emerita has attempted to identify important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking
information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or
intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual
results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Emerita does
not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable
securities laws.
NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS
DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
ADEQUACY OR ACCURACYOF THIS RELEASE