Madrid – In a recent hearing, Tomás G.M., evangelical pastor, denied the accusations of misappropriation related to funds donated by former soccer player Jackson Martínez. The trial, held by the Provincial Court of Madrid, focuses on the alleged theft of more than 500,000 euros.
The Prosecution requests four years in prison, a fine of 3,000 euros and compensation of 516,271 euros, corresponding to donations made to the church led by G.M.
The pastor assured that Martinez was aware of and authorized all financial movements.
According to the Public Ministry, the accused made 17 withdrawals and transfers to his personal account, using concepts such as “advance” or “payroll”. It is argued that the money came from the contributions of Jackson Martínez.
The accusation also points to the use of part of the money to purchase a vehicle worth more than 30,000 euros, the cancellation of his mortgage, and the delivery of 260,000 euros to his son for the acquisition of a villa in Boadilla del Monte, Madrid.
The church treasurer stated that the pastor asked him for discretion regarding a donation of 250,000 euros, a fact that Martinez denied.
The former soccer player, now dedicated to Christian music, confirmed the donations with the aim of spreading the gospel and revealed that in 2020 he discovered that the funds were not allocated to the church. Martínez stated that he had requested the return of the money without success.
Several members of the congregation testified about the embezzlement, which was made public after internal accusations that led to the expulsion of the pastor.
The defense argued that the chalet in Boadilla del Monte functioned as the church’s headquarters, although witnesses indicated that the activities were carried out in different homes. The accused’s son confirmed that the property is in his name and that he resides there with his father and his wife.
Tomás G.M. only answered his lawyer’s questions, reiterating that he informed Martínez about the financial movements and that the former soccer player authorized the purchase of the vehicle and the property. The accused denied having received a formal request to return the money and pointed out that the complaint comes from the current members of the church, not directly from the donor.
