The judge in charge of the investigation into Koldo case considers that “To date, there are not enough reasons” ask Supreme Court to indict former transport minister Jose Luis Abaloswho is described as a deputy of the Mixed Group in Congress. The judge of the National Court Ismael Moreno In this way, he rejects the request made by Iustitia Europa, who acts as popular prosecutor in the case, asking that a reasoned statement be submitted to the Supreme Court with the aim of investigating Ábalos.
The magistrate in charge of the investigation into the awarding of a series of public contracts for masks carried out in the midst of a pandemic explains, in an order issued this Monday, that several investigation procedures still need to be carried out, such as the hearing of witnesses. and investigations were planned this week or police reports on the dumping of the seized devices. The judge therefore considers that “to date, there are insufficient reasons to submit a reasoned statement” to the Supreme Court, “without prejudice to the what could result from this in the futureas a result of the procedures carried out and the future of education.
Ismael Moremo thus accepts the criterion put forward by the anti-corruption prosecutor Luis Pastor, who also did not see “sufficient evidence that could support” the judge to ask the Supreme Court to investigate José Luis Ábalos. What the magistrate accepted was the request of another of the accused, Liberum, to summon as a witness the financial and control director of Adif, Manuel Fresnonext September 16th.
This same week, the judge of the National Court plans to question two former senior officials of organizations dependent on the Ministry of Transport who are the subject of an investigation: the former director general of people management at Adif, Michaux Mirandaand the former Secretary General of State Ports Alvaro Sanchez Manzanareswhich ended after the case was initiated. Testimony from various witnesses is also planned, such as the director of Globalia Javier Hidalgo or several senior officials of the State ports.
The last statement scheduled, already on September 23, is that of the former Undersecretary of Transportation Jesus Manuel Gomezdismissed by Minister Óscar Puente a few weeks ago.
The prosecution believes that the three former senior officials charged exercised “certain pressures” on the officials who had to award mask contracts “without the possibility of refuting the final award decision” to the company Soluciones de Gestión, which is the subject of the investigation.
“Abalos abused his position”
Iustitia Europa, which serves as a popular accusation in the Koldo caseasked the judge to indict José Luis Ábalos, after incorporating into the file the internal audit that the current head of Transport, Oscar Bridgecommissioned this corruption case that investigates the purchase of health products, such as masks, during the pandemic. The entity defended that there are indications “rational and sufficient” for the indictment of the former socialist Minister of Transport for the alleged crimes of embezzlement, criminal organization, embezzlement of public funds, money laundering and administrative fraud.
“Not another second can pass without Ábalos being charged in the case before the National Court, because the audit report of the Ministry of Transport highlighted dozens of evidence that ‘the decisions and knowledge were at the level of the minister, the minister’s office, authorized by the minister, with the knowledge of the minister, with the approval of the minister, that said movements were made at the highest level of the minister and that ultimately, Decisions were made at ministerial level.‘”, Iustitia Europa said in a statement.
The entity stressed that once the attribution to Management Solutions was induced, “she prostituted herselfby fraud consisting of entrusting the sole contractor, arbitrarily chosen, with the task of obtaining the conditions proposed by him. Furthermore, he stressed that the destination of millions of masks and, consequently, of millions of euros of public money is unknown, “since there is no register, delivery note or proof of delivery of these”.
“Based on this evidence, there are indications that Mr. Ábalos, indicatively and presumably abusing the functions of his position and acting unfairly with the assets managed, transferred them without carrying out any objective assessment by inappropriately awarding him the contracts to Management Solutions. , with a clear detriment to the public treasury of all Spaniards,” the letter said.
The alleged bribery plot allegedly paid commissions to obtain rewards for the sale of masks. Receives its name from Koldo Garciawho was an assistant to Minister Ábalos at the time. The anti-corruption prosecutor’s office attributes to the persons under investigation alleged crimes of criminal organization, money laundering, corruption, crimes against the public treasury and influence peddling.
