The commission agent Victor de Aldama And Javier Hidalgoformer CEO of Globalia, met and had discussions with Nadia Calvinoformer vice-president of the government and minister of the Economy, and Bartolomé Lora Torovice-president of the Société Nationale de Participations Industrielles (SEPI), to promote the rescue of Air Europe of 475 million euros. In fact, according to information from the Central Operational Unit (UCO), even Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government, would be linked, according to information collected through Aldama.
This is indicated in the latest UCO report, to which this newspaper had access. He specifies that “the conversations found in the electronic devices seized (from the commission agent) allow us to assess in an indicative manner how Aldama used his relationship with Koldo (Garcia) And (Jose Luis) Abalos to influence the final award of the Air Europa rescue”.
“Thanks to them,” the report states, Aldama “managed to have Javier Hidalgo have an interview with the Minister of Economy and Finance at the time – whom the commissioner identified several times with Nadia Calviño – as well as ‘with the vice-president of SEPI.
The UCO specifies that the plot even “contacted high levels of decision-making in favor of saving the decision”. in favor of saving Air Europa“.
Indeed, in one of the WhatsApp messages intercepted on Aldama’s cell phone, dating from July 2020, the commission agent informs Javier Hidalgo of the following message: “K tells me — speaking of Koldo — that he already called him on the 1st, as soon as he knows, I’ll tell you that the call worked.“.
The “1” Aldama refers to would be Pedro Sánchez. This is how the commissioner referred to the President of the Government in “his closest entourage”.
Only two months later, in September, Aldama informed the secretary of the former boss of Globalia that “the rescue would be approved”, even though the Council of Ministers only gave its corresponding approval in November.
Thus, the UCO increases suspicions about the rescue of Air Europa. “Aldama’s intervention in this rescue was demonstrated by the intercepted electronic devices, although there are many other actors whose role should be substantiated by a more detailed investigation into these events. This is therefore the opinion of this instruction, and all this deserves to be the subject of a more exhaustive study.“.
Aldama also tried to obtain a second loan from the Official Credit Institute (ICO) for Air Europa, which had already received 141 million euros. In a new message to his loved ones, he said: “Tomorrow morning, first thing, there’s the 1st, it’s from the treasury and it’s there and the decision has been made that this will happen.“.
Even though the meeting took place, there was no second ICO credit.
