Croatia's former honorary consul in Barcelona Juli Barcena has been acquitted of money laundering for a group of criminals by a Barcelona court, so he is no longer under investigation.

According to the verdict, the investigation yielded no evidence proving that he laundered money, committed any crimes or consciously collaborated with the other suspects so that they could commit a crime.

Barcena, a Catalan engineer and developer, was suspected of receiving drug money from the Roma Jodorovich clan and investing it in real estate and expensive cars to cover up its origin.

On 8 May, Judge Miriam de Rosa Palacio excluded him from further proceedings against the suspects in this case.

Catalan police launched an investigation into Barcena in 2017. The Jodorovich clan is suspected of selling narcotics in Spain between 2010 and 2019 and establishing dummy companies and accounts to cover the money trail.

Barcena said he was glad he was found innocent, but regretted it took so long for the verdict to be delivered, saying he has suffered damage in public and via the media.

He acted as Croatia’s honorary consul from May 2002 to December 2022.

The judge acquitted three other suspects in the Jodorovich case. The honorary consuls of Albania and Mali are still under investigation.