The case of Koldo Garcia, a former advisor to socialist minister Jose Luis Abalos, is being investigated by Judge Ismael Moreno in the National Court for alleged illegal commissions in the purchase of medical supplies by the Administration during the Covid pandemic. The judge has called in witnesses who authored a recent audit conducted by the Ministry of Transport, now under the leadership of Oscar Puente, to provide more information on the case. Additionally, the judge intends to question Commissioner Jose Antonio Rodriguez Gonzalez, the current Director General of Coordination and Studies at the Secretariat of State for Security. This decision comes after criticism of the audit from three high-ranking Adif officials who questioned its conclusions and methodology.
Amidst the ongoing investigations, former high-ranking Interior Ministry official Daniel Belmar revealed to the judge that it was the current Director General of Coordination and Studies at the Secretariat of State for Security who informed him about the company involved in the alleged scheme and provided him with a contact for one of the implicated individuals, Inigo Rotaeche. The judge has also summoned more witnesses to testify regarding the alleged lack of justification for the reception of masks ordered by Puertos del Estado and Adif from Soluciones de Gestion. These witnesses include officials from various government agencies and private companies involved in the procurement process, shedding light on the practices and decisions made during the pandemic.
Judge Moreno has also taken steps to involve the tax authorities in calculating the potential tax evasion by the company accused in the case and its president, Víctor de Aldama. He has also requested additional documentation from the Health Services of the Balearic and Canary Islands, who also had contracts with the company in question, including access to email communications of key officials involved in the procurement process. The goal is to gather more evidence and insights into the transactions and individuals implicated in the alleged illegal activities surrounding the purchase of medical supplies during the pandemic.
In response to a request from the political party Vox, the judge has declined to request records from the Government’s cabinet meetings in 2020 related to pandemic-related contracts, arguing that it would expand the scope of the investigation beyond the specific case at hand. By focusing on the details of the procurement processes and financial transactions involving the accused individuals and companies, Moreno aims to unravel the complexities of the case and determine the extent of any wrongdoing that may have occurred during the emergency response to the pandemic. The investigation continues to uncover new leads and testimonies that shed light on the inner workings of government contracts and potential corruption during a critical period of public health crisis.
