Spanish court sentenced Stampa to six months jail, says Azalina

PETALING JAYA: Rogue Spanish arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa has been sentenced to six month in jail for contempt of court, said Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

“Congratulations to all Malaysians! Rogue arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa has been found guilty of contempt of court and has been sentenced by the Spanish courts to six months in prison together with a ban from practising as an arbitrator for a year.

“The efforts by this Kerajaan Madani in addressing and putting a stop to the Sulu Fraud has not been in vain.

ALSO READ : Spanish court yet to set date to deliver verdict in Stampa trial, says Azalina

“We persist in the fight for justice, and will continue our efforts to annul the Final Award,” the Minister in charge of Law and Institutional Reforms said in a post on platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday (Jan 8).

In December, Minister in the Prime Minister Department travelled to Spain to monitor the trial against Stampa at the Criminal Court of Madrid.

He was charged for “unqualified professional practice” after controversially ordering Malaysia to pay US$14.92bill to the self-proclaimed heirs of the so-called Sulu Sultanate.

On June 29, 2021, the Madrid High Court of Justice issued a judgement, in line with its case law, ruling that as a foreign state, Malaysia had been improperly summoned in arbitrator appointment proceedings.

ALSO READ : Malaysia believes Spanish court will deliver justice in ex-arbitrator Stampa’s trial

The court annulled Stampa’s appointment, all his procedural actions and ordered that Malaysia be properly summoned and to restart arbitral proceedings.

The annulment of Stampa’s appointment was later upheld by the Spanish Constitutional Court after a failed appeal by a few Filipino citizens.

Stampa was a Spanish arbitrator involved in a legal case concerning Malaysia and the Sulu sultanate ‘heirs’.

The outcome of this case was significant for Malaysia as it could potentially annul all decisions made by Stampa.

The case against Stampa was seen as an important step in addressing what the Malaysian government considered to be fraudulent and baseless claims against the country by the so-called Sulu sultanate heirs.