THE son of the Mango billionaire who tragically died in a deadly mountain fall has been quizzed again after the judge reopened his dad’s case.
The judge had closed the investigation but reopened it after reported “inconsistencies” in information given to the police.
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Isak Andic’s son Jonathan was the only person with the 71-year-old businessman when he died after falling nearly 500ft while hiking near Barcelona in December.
Jonathan Andic has already been questioned twice as a witness of the tragedy, which police sources have insisted they are still treating as an accident.
The Catalan daily La Vanguardia said today the 43-year-old was quizzed for more than three hours about his dad’s death at a police station in the town of Martorell on January 31.
Reports from the time of Mr Andic’s fatal plunge, which have been corroborated by police sources, said Jonathan was walking in front of him and turned round when he heard the sound of falling stones behind.
When he turned around he saw his father had gone over the edge of the footpath, falling nearly 500ft.
The police are also understood to have questioned the Mango co-founder’s partner Estefania Knuth.
Knuth was the last person besides Mr Andic’s chauffeur and his son to see him alive, as well as a local police officer who went to the scene.
The mobile phones of the Mango co-founder and his sons were also analysed by police.
The Mossos d’Esquadra, the police force tasked with looking into Mr Andic’s death, and the courts have both declined to make any official comment.
But they did confirm the shelved judicial probe has been reopened.
One well-placed court source said: “We can confirm the reopening of the judicial investigation but we haven’t got any more details we can offer you.”
The Catalan daily El Periodico reported overnight the police’s working hypothesis was that Mr Andic suffered an accidental death but they still had to complete initial reports sent to the investigating judge.
But citing judicial sources it added: “The Mossos d’Esquadra are also investigating ‘contradictions’ in the statements Jonathan Andic has made to police.
“For example he told officers he had left his car in one place and it was in another, or that he hadn’t taken photos of the area when he had.”
Another Spanish newspaper, El Pais, said: “The police hypothesis is still the same as it was, that Mr Andic died after falling 500ft during a hike to Collbato and there is nothing pointing to his death being a crime.
“But investigators have wanted to probe the details of the incident in depth, especially because the statements of Jonathan Andic, the son of the Mango founder and the only person accompanying him at the time of the fall, were inconsistent with the results of the on-site inspection.
“Despite this the police have not detected that the businessman’s son is intentionally withholding information or providing erroneous information in order to cover up a possible crime.”
Other reports have suggested the reopening of the case is more of a formality.
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The tragedy occurred when Mr Andic and his son were visiting the Collbato Caves in the heart of the magical Monserrat mountains just before midday on December 14.
The Turkish immigrant founded Mango along with his brother Nahman back in 1984.
By March 2024, it had over 14,000 employees working in more than 2,700 stores operating in over 110 countries, with 45 stores in the UK.
Last year Mango announced it was teaming up with Victoria Beckham to launch a new capsule collection to mark its 40th anniversary.
Forbes had estimated Mr Andic’s net worth shortly before his death at US DOLLARS 4.5 billion, making him Catalonia’s richest man and one of the wealthiest in Spain.
In the year 2010 he was Spain’s second richest man.
Mr Andic owned a private plane which cost him more than £25 million and a 175ft yacht with around the same value.
He was planning to have the world’s largest yacht built but U-turned on the idea of Nirvana II before construction of the more than 330ft-long vessel got underway.
His discreet lifestyle meant that until 2007 he didn’t make public appearances and was very difficult to photograph.
Jonathan was one of his three grown-up children.
He also had two daughters, Judith and Sarah.
No-one from the family has made any official comment since the court investigation reopened.
Catalan president Salvador Illa said on X after learning about Mr Andic’s death: “Devastated by the loss of Isak Andic, a committed businessman who with his leadership has contributed to making Catalonia great and projecting it to the world.
“He leaves an indelible mark on the Catalan and global fashion sector. My condolences and those of the entire Government to the family, friends, and the Mango team.”
Mango CEO Tony Ruiz said in a statement: “It is with deep regret that we announce the unexpected death of Isak Andic, our non-executive Chairman and founder of Mango, in an accident that occurred this Saturday.
“Isak has been an example for all of us. He dedicated his life to Mango, leaving an indelible mark thanks to his strategic vision, his inspiring leadership and his unwavering commitment to values that he himself imbued in our company.
“His legacy reflects the achievements of a business project marked by success, and also by his human quality, his proximity and the care and affection that he always had and at all times conveyed to the entire organization.
“His departure leaves a huge void but all of us are, in some way, his legacy and the testimony of his achievements.
“It is up to us, and this is the best tribute we can make to Isak and which we will fulfil, to ensure that Mango continues to be the project that Isak aspired to and of which he would feel proud.
“In these extremely difficult times we share the pain of the family as if it were our own.”
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