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 marked the latest twist in a case that has gripped Spain.
From hiking accident to murder investigation
Isak Andic, who created the Mango clothing 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 had been hiking together.
Initially, police treated the incident as a tragic accident involving one of Spain’s wealthiest businessmen.
However, this week Jonathan Andic was arrested after a judge in Martorell near Barcelona ruled 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 denies wrongdoing.
Questions over the final hike
Jonathan Andic had called emergency services after the fall. He initially told police he had been walking ahead of his father when he heard rocks sliding and turned to see Isak Andic fall.
Within weeks, investigators questioned him again for three hours. In October 2025, he was formally placed under investigation after the case was reopened.
Soon after, executors of Isak Andic’s will issued a statement supporting Jonathan, saying they had witnessed “how the pain of private grief has been aggravated by a public debate that causes greater suffering”.
As the investigation progressed, police also questioned Jonathan’s two sisters and uncle.
Investigators point to inconsistencies
Jonathan Andic’s arrest appeared to be based on several allegations concerning the circumstances of the fatal hike.
Investigators believe the kind of slip described by Jonathan would have been unlikely at the location where the fall occurred. The pair had been near caves in the Collbató area, following what authorities described as a relatively easy route popular with families and school groups.
Police also suspect a footmark found at the scene did not match an accidental slip.
According to forensic findings, the position of Isak Andic’s body and injuries were inconsistent with a fall. The report stated it appeared “as if he had launched himself down a slide, feet first”.
Investigators also identified contradictions in Jonathan’s statements regarding his position at the time of the fall.
In one account he said he was ahead of his father, while in another he suggested they were closer together. He also initially claimed his father had been taking photographs moments before the fall, yet the phone was later found in Isak Andic’s pocket.
Focus on possible motive
Separately, investigators considered three visits by Jonathan to the site on 7, 8 and 10 December suspicious. The investigating judge said they indicated “a planning and study of the site”.
Jonathan’s own phone also disappeared around the time media outlets reported the reopening of the investigation. He told police it had been stolen during a short trip to Ecuador.
Authorities have also examined the broader family and business context surrounding Isak Andic’s death.
Investigators believe plans by Isak to establish a charitable foundation may have created tensions with Jonathan and point to text messages exchanged between them.
According to the investigating magistrate, Jonathan exercised “emotional manipulation over his father in order to achieve his economic objectives” and had “verbalised feelings of hatred, resentment, ideas related to death and blame” towards him.
Jonathan Andic has denied those claims and told investigators his relationship with his father was good.
Mango empire and family response
Isak Andic, born in Istanbul to a Jewish family, moved to Catalonia as a teenager before co-founding Mango in the mid-1980s.
He became Catalonia’s richest person, with Mango growing into a global retailer employing more than 16,000 people and generating turnover of €3.3bn in 2024.
Jonathan Andic played a major role in the company’s development over the past two decades, particularly in its menswear division, though he stepped back following his father’s death.
He and his two younger sisters currently share control of a holding company that owns a 95% stake in Mango.
Soon after his arrest, the Andic family issued a statement backing Jonathan, saying “there does not exist, nor will there exist, legitimate evidence against him”.
“The homicide theory does not hold up,” said his lawyer, Cristóbal Martell. “But, above all, it is painful. It stigmatises an innocent man.”
Source: BBC
Also read: US has charged Raúl Castro with murder over 1996 plane downing
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