Imanol Arias avoids going to prison after reaching a deal with the Prosecutor's Office in the Numm case

Actor Imanol Arias Domínguez (Riaño, 1956) has been sentenced to two years and two months in prison for several tax offenses in connection with the "Nummaria Case". This sentence is the result of the plea agreement he already reached with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.

Meanwhile, actress Ana Duato and her husband, producer Miguel Ángel Bernardeau, have been acquitted of all charges, while lawyer and accountant Fernando Peña has been sentenced to eighty years in prison. It is important to mention that Peña is considered the main person responsible for the tax evasion scheme.

Actor Imanol Arias Sentenced to Two Years and Two Months in Prison

The sentence for Imanol Arias stems from an agreement with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office after he admitted his involvement in five tax offenses committed between 2010 and 2013. According to the ruling, the actor used opaque corporate structures created by Nummaria to hide income and convert part of his professional earnings into life annuities, thus avoiding paying taxes in Spain.

Among the key companies is 11 T'ai Creaciones SL, of which Arias is the sole administrator. This company was part of the international network through an EEIG called Leitmotif Projects, in partnership with the British Rosedale Limited, which in turn was controlled by firms in Costa Rica. The actor admitted to having used funds deposited in Switzerland to increase capital in his company, funds that came from another foreign company.

Although the Tax Agency estimated that Imanol Arias had defrauded more than 2 million euros, the actor has already paid about 4.8 million euros to the Treasury, in an attempt to reduce his sentence and avoid imprisonment. This agreement is what has allowed the sentence not to exceed two and a half years, which could make it easier for Arias to avoid prison if the court agrees to suspend the sentence.

Meanwhile, Ana Duato was exonerated by the court, which found that there was not enough evidence to prove that she was aware of the law firm's tax operations, even though the allegedly defrauded income is also linked to her role as an actress and to the involvement of her husband, producer Miguel Ángel Bernardéu.

The trial continues for another 30 defendants, and it is expected to last until September with a total of 24 sessions.

Other Controversies Involving Imanol Arias

Beyond the legal scandal, Imanol Arias has been at the center of a series of controversies in recent years that have affected his public and professional image. One of the most notable was his split with RTVE after the end of Cuéntame cómo pasó, which included harsh criticism from the actor toward the public broadcaster.

"It's unbearable to be on that network, I hope I don't return to anything for a long time, to anything public. In this country it's unbearable. I don't want to go back, let them set me free now," the actor declared. Arias also questioned why TVE productions are not made with their own staff and criticized the media exposure of the external cast's salaries. In response to these statements, production company Ganga defended RTVE and expressed its "absolute rejection" of the actor's words. In the end, Arias had to issue a public apology: "I went way too far, I honestly lost my mind. I betrayed myself and betrayed many people I've worked hard and well with. TVE is like my family and one can lose their temper with family."

Another well-known controversy revolved around Irene Visedo's return to the role of Inés Alcántara in Cuéntame, after having been replaced for six seasons by Pilar Punzano. The latter, after being left out of the series, publicly accused the production company of unfair dismissal through a letter on Facebook in which she accused the team of being "a sect where the leaders show themselves to be distant, capricious, and tyrannical." She also made direct accusations against Imanol Arias: "Your tongue is as long as your hands, ex-father. This man, whom most people find endearing, never asked me how I was in five years."

Arias was quick to respond: "I don't have a long hand, I'm a very old person, generally I haven't had problems of that kind," and described the actress as "strange and distant on set." For the actor, Punzano's departure was not professional: "I simply think she felt hurt and that's why she went after me." He also stated at the time that "it's a real joy" to have Visedo back, whom he considers "the best possible actress for the coming stage."

More recently, in an interview with Argentine outlet Infobae, the actor sparked further controversy by claiming that the 2030 Agenda is "a plot." "I've set out to find the loophole so I don't comply with the agenda that's killing us," he said. The reactions were swift. On social media, writer Maruja Torres was one of the first to respond: "Shorter than the sleeves on a vest."

During that same interview, Arias addressed sensitive topics such as his problems with drugs, his relationship with his parents, and the legal proceedings he faces in Spain. He stated that he was asked for "28 years in prison for embezzlement," although he expressed more fear of "becoming exhausted or ill" in prison than of imprisonment itself. He called the situation a "moral cancer" and showed confidence that he won't have to go to prison.

He also made statements that many have compared to the denialist theories of singer Miguel Bosé: "I'm not going to let them put the chip in me here. I'm going to see transhumanization coming and I think it's going to help me much more as an artist than as a person." He also made clear his skepticism toward official information: "I don't read newspapers, I find out about current events in other ways."

Despite everything, the actor has resumed his stage activity with the play Mejor no decirlo, and he assures that, despite the controversies, he feels at peace with his life and career.