The president of the Commission of Inquiry into what is called Koldo affair in the Senate decided to convene Javier Hidalgo for next Friday, November 29 with a decree published in the Official State Journal (BOE). According to sources from the People’s Party in the Senate, this decision was taken “due to the lack of collaboration from the government to locate him” and issue the summons after five weeks.
The businessman is summoned to clarify the links between one of his associates, Victor de Aldamathe rescue of Air Europa, the allegedly corrupt plot of the Ministry of Transport of Jose Luis Abalosand the affairs of the wife of the President of the Government, Begoña Gomez.
The publication of the summons by decree to the BOE represents a further step in the PP’s efforts not to let go of the dam. “We will use all the tools at our disposal for Hidalgo’s appearance at the commission of inquiry.”
The new appeal, handled by Eloy Suarezpresident of the commission, will do so “by way of a penal edict for next Friday the 29th”. This is the first time that this has happened in a democracy, underline the sources, who accuse the “non-collaboration of the Government” of having had to take this measure.
By this means, the appearing party is deemed to be informed of its obligations towards the Legislative Chamber. And if you do not contact the Commission, you would be committing a crime included in the article 502.1 of the Penal Code:
“Those who, having been legally required and under warningdo not appear before a commission of inquiry of the Cortes Generales or before a Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Community, they will be punished as convicted of the crime of disobedience“.
The prison sentence established by the section 556.1 East from three months to one year or a fine of six to eighteen months.
Background
On October 10, the Senate commission of inquiry into what is called Koldo affair approved a new schedule of appearancesamong which that of Javier Hidalgo was scheduled for last Thursday, November 7.
The former CEO of Globalia has not appeared since Notification could not be sent after four weeks in which the ministry of Fernando Grande Marlaska He said he could not find Hidalgo at any of his known addresses. That day, his appearance was postponed until November 22, but the Senate already deems this impossible this date is respected.
Thus, the sources consulted in the Upper House They have already confessed to suspecting that Hidalgo could have fled Spain to avoid possible legal proceedings against him in the Koldo affair or in one of the other plots which link him to the director of the plot, the businessman Victor de Aldama.
But now PP sources are already talking about “zero collaboration” across the entire government. The popular recorded a writing, to which EL ESPAÑOL had access, to demand not only the Interior, but also the Exterior, the Treasury and Industry, that they “collaborate” in its location. The document urged the Senate to “require the government to collaborate in the location of Javier Hidalgo”.
The tourist businessman also did not appear to testify before the commission of inquiry opened in the Balearic Parliament. And the one who was CEO of Globalia settled in Botswana after the outbreak of the Koldo and Begoña affairs.
Botswana is one of the African countries that They do not have an extradition treaty with Spain. This would be, according to the investigation sources, the main reason for the businessman’s change of residence.
However, Hidalgo He came to testify before Judge Ismael Morenowho investigates Koldo affair at the Central Investigating Court number 2 of the National Court, on September 12.
The former CEO of Globalia, and still owner of 10% of the company’s shares, then declared I do not remember the meetings held in 2020 with the wife of Pedro Sánchez and the commissioner Aldama. Likewise, he assured that the commercial director of Air Europa was the one responsible for managing the transport of masks during the pandemic.
New summons: Friday 29
Neither the department of Marlaska nor that of Jose Manuel Albaresnor that of Maria Jesus Monteronor that of Jordi Hereu They “succeeded in locating” Hidalgo to send him notification of his new court date, this time scheduled for next Friday, November 29.
After repeated calls to the businessman, “frustrated by the impossibility of notifying him of his appearance”, according to the PP, “None of these ministries of the Sánchez government collaborated so that Hidalgo can appear in the Senate.”
According to popular sources, this can be directly described as “obstruction of the commission” which, furthermore, “this has been experienced before”.
At the start of the work, Interior stated that it had not found the original protagonist of the case, Koldo Garcia Izaguirreformer advisor to Ábalos at the ministry and key link in the alleged mask fraud. “SO, The PSOE took the opportunity to request the suspension of his appearance“.
A few months later, the same thing happened with a former senior Interior Ministry official, whom Interior was also unable to locate and whose appearance was ultimately suspended. It was about José Manuel Fraile Azpeitiaformer Deputy Director General of Economy and Heritage Management in 2020, and responsible for the award of internal markets to the Koldo Field.
PP sources in the Senate consider all this as proof that “Sánchez is cornered by corruption”. And this, because “he is terrified of the whole truth being known” about the cases that are harassing him. And this set in motion the entire machinery of the State to cover “the conspiracy that surrounds him in his government, his party and his personal environment”.
“A plot in which Javier Hidalgo plays a very important role,” underlines this popular spokesperson in the Upper House. “There are many questions for you to answer and it seems that Sánchez is very afraid of being answered“.
