The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaskadefended this Thursday in the Senate that no one from his department has any connection with the alleged Koldo plot that it is investigating alleged irregularities in the procurement of masks during the pandemic and that the acquisition of this material for the security forces was carried out “with exquisite legality.”
In his appearance before the investigative committee in the Senate, The minister wanted to make it clear that he “never” had the suspicion that the former minister José Luis Ábalos, investigated in the case along with his advisor Koldo García, was in “no shady business” and he has admitted that if his accusation hurts anyone, it is those who shared the Government with him.
During the two and a half hours that his appearance lasted, Marlaska distanced himself from the open investigations because in the Interior, he reiterated in successive questions that the senators asked him, “Everything was done in accordance with legal parameters.”
“In the Interior everything was done with the same legality, I don’t know if other people who are accused were able to take advantage of that situation (the pandemic), which would be very serious and hurts those of us who knew those people more,” said the minister in another reference. to Ábalos.
The minister has stated that he puts his hand on the fire for all the officials of his Ministry
The minister has stated that puts his hand on the fire for all officials of his Ministry and, specifically, by the people in his cabinet and the Secretary of State for Security, some of whom will go to the Senate in the coming days, and he has pointed out that neither the State Intervention nor the Court of Accounts nor The judicial authorities have questioned the acquisition procedure by the Interior.
However, he has reiterated that there is “maximum collaboration” with the judicial authority and recognized that, as a public administration, they dedicated themselves to obtaining emergency protective medical equipment for police, civil guards and prison officials but that he was not personally aware of the details of the contract nor did he give “any indication” about any company.
Regarding this, he explained that the acquisition procedure was “through a normal channel”, as there was a coordination center and a “absolute” trust in the bodies in charge to make those purchases that they learned at a meeting that some organizations – he cited State Ports and Adif – had “a safe way” to have masks. And he pointed out that the price the ministry paid was “even lower” than the average of other administrations.
Marlaska: “In the Interior no one roamed freely”
“In the Interior no one roamed freely,” Marlaska has also said on more than one occasion, especially in response to the numerous questions that the PP senator Luis Santamaría has asked him about the reasons why the commander of the Civil Guard Rubén Villalba, also investigated, provided “secure mobile phones.” ” to Ábalos and Koldo.
“With these mobile phones, 182 million euros were defrauded, and you do not assume any responsibility,” the senator snapped, while Marlaska has His questions were called “absurd”. “If someone from the Civil Guard does something irregular, they would not have the audacity to tell the minister,” he replied before assuring that he has no evidence that anyone has provided any motive.
The controversial trip of Delcy Rodríguez
In addition to the alleged plot of irregularities investigated in the Koldo caseseveral senators have once again expressed interest in the role of the Interior in the controversial trip to Spain on January 20, 2020 of the vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguezwho was prohibited from setting foot on Schengen soil.
Marlaska has been “convinced” that she neither entered Schengen territory nor did her suitcases pass through. He has reported that the information from the visit of Delcy Rodríguez “through different channels” and “shortly before”, as always happens with the arrival of any other foreign authority, and they verified that there was a signal from the EU for the vice president of Venezuela will not enter Schengen territory.
This statement was fulfilled, the Minister of the Interior added, and added: “What would have worried me is if the vice president had set foot on Spanish soil.” But, “did not set foot on Spanish soil in Schengen soil parameters”, therefore, “from a legal point of view”, he clarified, which is why he was only in airport areas that do not involve entry into the EU, something that, he indicated, “happens every day ” with other citizens who do not have access and have to wait for another flight to leave.
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