The investigation commission on emergency contracts for the purchase of sanitary materials during the pandemic has approved a list of 134 witnesses who will appear before the Congress of Deputies starting next Monday. The list includes around thirty members of the PP, including five regional presidents, as well as intermediaries and businessmen. Among those called to testify are prominent figures such as former Minister of Transport José Luis Ábalos, former President of the Balearic Islands Francina Armengol, former Minister of Health Salvador Illa, and former President of the Canary Islands Ángel Víctor Torres. These individuals will be questioned about their roles in the purchase of masks and other medical supplies during the pandemic.
One of the key figures in the investigation is José Luis Ábalos, who as Minister of Transport ordered the purchase of millions of masks from the company Soluciones de Gestión. The company allegedly distributed profits to its owners, businessman Víctor Aldama, and Ábalos’s senior advisor, Koldo García. The ministry also recommended that the governments of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands purchase masks from Soluciones de Gestión. Francina Armengol, the President of the Congress and former President of the Balearic Islands, also came under scrutiny for her government’s purchase of masks that turned out to be of low quality and were subsequently stored instead of used.
Salvador Illa, the former Minister of Health, was responsible for acquiring hundreds of millions of masks for state facilities and distribution to the autonomous communities. One of the main suppliers to the ministry, FCS, was found to have no prior experience in the sector and was also implicated in paying large commissions to the boyfriend of Isabel Díaz Ayuso for securing a client for their masks. Ángel Víctor Torres, the Minister of Territorial Policy and former President of the Canary Islands, oversaw a similar procurement of masks for his regional government through the same recommended company.
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the President of the Community of Madrid, was also implicated in the purchase of masks at inflated prices from a company owned by a friend. Her chief of staff, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, was found to have spread false information and attempted to evade taxes. The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, also faced allegations of awarding contracts to inexperienced intermediaries for the purchase of medical supplies, leading to fraud investigations.
The investigation also covers other regional leaders such as Marga Prohens from the Balearic Islands, who allowed a reclaiming process for faulty masks to lapse, and Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla from Andalusia, where emergency contracts were signed under expedited procedures that bypassed regular controls. The long list of witnesses includes government officials, journalists, business representatives, and legal experts who will shed light on the irregularities and questionable practices surrounding the purchase of medical supplies during the pandemic.
