Catalan police have arrested Jonathan Andic as a suspect in the alleged murder of his father Isak Andic, owner of the Mango fashion empire, who died after falling on a trail in Montserrat on December 14, 2024.
The arrest took place this morning at Jonathan’s home after months of speculation that he could be detained or directly summoned to give evidence before a judge, El Pais reported.
The Andic family said Jonathan was testifying “within the framework of the proceedings on the incident of December 14, 2024,” that he could not provide further information because the investigation is classified, and that his cooperation with the justice system “has been and will continue to be absolute.”
Catalan police have considered Jonathan Andic a suspect in his father’s death since at least October last year. After noticing several contradictions in the two statements he gave as a witness, investigators requested his mobile phone, which he voluntarily handed over. They have since been analyzing the device for messages that could provide evidence of a possible motive for the alleged crime.
Isak Andic died at the age of 71 during a hike accompanied only by Jonathan, the eldest of his three sons. The Mango founder fell from a height of more than 100 meters.
The Catalan police initially investigated the case as a simple mountain accident. However, the investigation took a different direction due to contradictions in Jonathan’s statements. Investigators discovered that a few days before the incident, the eldest son had visited the same place. According to his defense, this was to prepare for the trip.
The investigation confirmed that father and son had had a sometimes conflicting relationship, especially regarding Jonathan’s role in the management of the company. Isak Andic decided to hand over the reins of the business to his eldest son in 2014, but he was supposed to return a year later to form a new team and revive it. This hasty succession did not work out and, according to sources close to the investigation, strained relations between the two.
Isak Andic was the richest man in Catalonia, with a fortune estimated at 4.5 billion euros according to Forbes.
Relations in his family deteriorated after the businessman’s death. His wife and children began a dispute over the inheritance. The will, signed by Andic before a notary in July 2023, provides for the division of assets among his three children.
He left his partner five million euros – an amount she considered insufficient, asking for 70 million. After painful negotiations, the children and the partner reached a preliminary agreement for around 30 million euros.
Illustrative photo: View from pl. Catalunya, Barcelona.
