Spanish woodcutter accused of stealing 400 trees from France

On Tuesday, a Spanish woodcutter appeared before a French court on charges of illegally cutting hundreds of trees in a village in the Pyrenees, and faces 24 months in prison, including 12 months suspended if convicted, in addition to a fine of 25,000 euros.

About a hundred perennial oak trees and more than 300 pine trees were illegally felled in November 2020 and February 2021 in the town of Perle-et-Castoles, which ranges between 600 and 2,000 meters above sea level in the French Pyrenees, and these trees were transported to Spain. Twenty-one affected French citizens filed complaints.

The public prosecutor demanded 24 months in prison for the president of the company, 12 of which were suspended, and a fine of 25,000 euros (and 200,000 euros against his company), in addition to a ban on any forestry activity in France, compensation for those affected, and denunciation of “the theft of Ariege’s forests.” . It was decided to issue a ruling on February 15.

Manuel Bautista, 46, owner of Lleida-based Exploatacion Forestal Bautista, admitted “mistakes” and blamed contractors or workers who misunderstood his instructions.

The Public Prosecutor considered that “the accused is criminally responsible for the actions of his workers or contractors who deal with him.”

Bautista has been cutting forests in France since 2009, signing contracts with landowners, before selling them to sawmills in Spain. His lawyer demanded his innocence on the grounds of good faith.

In August, the accused was placed under judicial supervision with a ban on traveling to Ariège, except to implement a subpoena, and to practice his profession in managing forests in France.