When Jonathan Andic, son of the late founder of one of Europe's biggest clothing empires, posted €1m (£865,000) in bail shortly after being arrested in connection with his father's death, it was the latest twist in a saga that has gripped and mystified Spain.
Isak Andic, who created the Mango clothes brand, died at the age of 71 on 14 December 2024 after falling around 500ft (150m) from a cliff in the mountainous Montserrat natural park north of Barcelona. The two men were hiking there together.
Initially, police treated it as a tragic accident that had befallen one of Spain's wealthiest individuals.
But this week his son was arrested when a judge in Martorell near Barcelona decided there was enough evidence to consider the death of [Isak Andic] non-accidental, with the active and premeditated participation of [Jonathan Andic] in the death of his father.
The 45-year-old defends his innocence.
Jonathan Andic, the Mango founder's eldest child, had called emergency services who recovered the body. He told police that he had been walking ahead of his father when he heard the sound of rocks sliding and turned to see that Isak Andic had fallen.
However, investigators questioned him a second time, and several months later, in October 2025, he was formally put under investigation as the case reopened.
Soon after, the executors of Isak Andic's will published a statement insisting on Jonathan's innocence, saying we have been witnesses of how the pain of private grief has been aggravated by a public debate that causes greater suffering.
As the investigation continued, police questioned Jonathan's two sisters and uncle.
Jonathan Andic's arrest this week appeared to be based on several allegations regarding the circumstances of his father's death and the fateful hike.
Investigators believe that the kind of slip Jonathan described his father as suffering would have been unlikely in the spot where the fall happened. Near some caves in the area of Collbató, they were following a picturesque, relatively undemanding route.
They suspect that a footmark indicating where Jonathan said his father fell does not match with someone slipping and falling. Additionally, the position of Isak Andic's body and injuries he sustained were inconsistent with an accidental fall. The forensic report indicated that it appeared as if he had launched himself down a slide, feet first.
Investigators have detected contradictions in Jonathan's testimonies regarding his own position when his father fell, including his statements about taking photos moments before the accident, despite the phone being found in Isak's pocket.
Three visits by Jonathan to the site of the fall also raised suspicions, interpreted by the investigating judge as indicating a planning of the act.
Furthermore, Jonathan's disappearance of his phone shortly after the investigation was reopened also caught police attention. He claimed it had been stolen during a trip to Ecuador.
The broader circumstances surrounding Andic's death are also under scrutiny, including potential motives related to his relationship with Jonathan amidst the family business dynamics.
Isak, born in Istanbul, co-founded Mango in the mid-1980s and became the richest person in Catalonia, significantly impacting the fashion industry.
Jonathan, now distanced from active control of Mango, shares ownership with his two younger sisters.
Text messages between Jonathan and Isak reportedly suggest tensions over Isak's plans to create a charitable foundation, and accusations of emotional manipulation surfaced in the proceedings. However, Jonathan maintains that his relationship with his father was strong.
Following his arrest, the Andic family issued a statement supporting Jonathan, labeling allegations against him as baseless and emphasizing that the homicide theory does not hold up according to his lawyer.
