The Galician Nationalist Bloc will form the commission of inquiry to clarify whether or not there were “irregularities, cronyism and nepotism” in the hiring of the Xunta. It will do so automatically, meeting the criterion of having a third of the deputies of the Chamber, and, as the nationalist spokesperson, Ana Pontón, said this Wednesday, They will request the appearance of the former president of the Community and current national leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.In each legislature, only one committee of inquiry may be created by this means.
Concretely, the Bloc will create this commission to investigate alleged irregularities in three specific issues: the 1,311 contracts awarded to Eulen between 2018 and 2023, where Feijóo’s sister holds a position on the board of directors; the emergency contracts carried out during the health crisis; and the additional cost of 470 million euros for the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital (in Vigo) due to “the Xunta’s decision to jointly tender for construction and management” due to the “system of concession to a private company”.
A commission in which the BNG will request the appearance of the national leader of the Popular Party, as indicated this Wednesday by the party’s spokesman. “I hope that you do not veto any appearance, starting with yours and continuing with Mr. Feijóo’s –said the president of the Xunta and leader of the PPdeG, Alfonso Rueda–. Nor does it prohibit access to any documentation […] because, Mr. Rueda, the only thing you have shown us is that your actions are typical of someone who is afraid of transparency.
For his part, the head of the Xunta, who has already assured on several occasions that his party is facing the situation with “absolute calm”, preferred not to respond, waiting to see first. if they “finally register” the aforementioned commission. “I think this is the fifth time they have threatened [con una comisión de investigación]Let’s see if they are brave this time and present it,” he said.
Cunqueiro additional cost
Also on Wednesday, when questioned about the Álvaro Cunqueiro hospital by the secretary general of the PSdeG, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, the president denied that there had been a “scandalous overcost” of 470 million or that this is what the report of the Consello de Contas indicates. As explained and reflected in the document, the company claimed 7 million euros in additional costs. “they were not paid by the Administration” it being understood “that this would be part of the construction risk assumed by the successful bidder”.
The 470 million mentioned by the Consello de Contas are linked to the chosen tender method. “The alternative of bidding for the works on the one hand and bidding for the service contracts on the other is more efficient than the concession contract carried out, since similar results could be obtained at a lower cost,” the document states. However, according to the president of the Xunta, it is “the system that allowed the hospital to be built at the time.” Otherwise, he continued, “would not have existed.” “This is the system that allowed us to have a fully operational hospital after the pandemic,” he explained, because the report also specifies that another would have been “much slower.”
“This system was endorsed by the General State Intervention and by the European Investment Bank; It has currently enabled 4,000 surgical interventions to be carried out, almost 15% more than before; four times more diagnostic tests” and facilities which “have no point of comparison with the previous ones”, estimated the regional leader.
