The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, denied knowing the alleged commissioner of the Koldo plot, Victor de Aldamawho has been at liberty since last week, “shot” several members of the Government and the PSOE in his statement before the judge.
“I tell you categorically: never, I don’t know him, I haven’t exchanged a wordcorridor, he has not set foot in the ministry while I am minister”, assured Puente before the commission of inquiry into the Koldo affair in the Senate after being asked if he had ever met or spoken with Aldama.
Furthermore, when asked about a trip to Mexico that De Aldama allegedly made with the then Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, he said he could not say “for what reason he made this trip, if “he did it”, but he can affirm that “there is no expenditure of any kind incurred by the department in relation to this man”.
On the other hand, Puente also denied having a relationship with Koldo Garciaalthough he admitted having seen him “twice in my life as mayor during two official visits to Ábalos”. “Once we went to see some new Renfe workshops and I don’t remember the other one. I don’t know if there were two or one. I don’t know if there will be a party too but I didn’t meet him with him,” he commented.
The minister was also asked why he did not fire the Undersecretary of State, Jesús Manuel Gómez, earlier, when his meetings with Koldo García in La Chalana were published in the press, which he did after the audit which he commanded in his ministry.
Puente said he asked about these meetings and they explained to him that from time to time they would meet up for drinks with someone who had been his colleague, which was not illegal. . Consequently, he did not see “sufficient reasons at that time to proceed with his dismissal”.
Regarding the audit he ordered from his ministry, to analyze the purchase of masks by his predecessor, José Luis Ábalos, he stressed that he ordered it when the Koldo case was revealed, without receiving any order of anyone and without directing the investigation. in no way.
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