The Minister of the InteriorFernando Grande Marlaskagranted in 2022 to Victor de Aldama, currently the main accused in the Koldo affair for alleged corruption in the purchase of masks, the Order of Merit of the Civil Guard. As indicated in the Official Gazette of the Civil Guard of September 27, 2022, two years ago, Minister Marlaska personally signed this concession along with that of others. The Unified Association of Civil Guards (AUGC) requested officially the withdrawal of distinction.
The request, made this Friday by the majority association of the organization, reveals the controversy generated for the distinction granted to the businessman, currently on provisional release after having passed one month in preventive detention for his alleged involvement in a million-dollar bribery conspiracy.
“East unacceptable that decorations be awarded to people whose career could contradict the principles of ethics, honesty and commitment which govern our institution”, declared the AUGC in a press release. The association, represented in all units and specialties of the corps, considers that these practices “not only tarnish the prestige of the Civil Guard, but also they deeply hurt the agents “who devote their entire lives to service without receiving the recognition they deserve.”
The decoration, which corresponds to the category with a white badge of the Order of Merit and which was unveiled The Spanishwas granted by the Minister of the Interior at a time when Aldama maintained remarkable commercial activity, especially during the pandemic. The ongoing judicial investigation has revealed that part of these companies could be linked to a corruption plot which would have affected different public administrations.
The AUGC, dean of professional associations of the Civil Guard and awarded the National Human Rights Prize in 2010, stressed the need to guarantee that distinctions within the Corps “are reflection of impeccable conduct and not an object of social questioning. The association, born as an underground union during the democratic transition, reiterated its attachment to the transparency and dignity of the institution.
The request to withdraw the medal comes at a particularly delicate time for the case, after Aldama was provisionally released under the commitment to continuing collaboration with Justice including providing strong evidence against the conspiracy. His recent statements, in which he claims to have incriminating evidence, have increased media attention to the case and its possible political ramifications.
This controversy adds to other similar cases in which the awarding of decorations was subsequently questioned due to the involvement of those honored in cases of corruption, raising the need to review the procedures and criteria for awarding these distinctions. Among others, Koldo García also benefits from the recognition of the Armed Institute.
