The Judge of the Supreme Court investigating former Minister José Luis Ábalos for allegedly favoring public contracts in exchange for prebendas has taken a statement as a witness this Thursday to his ex -partner Jéssica Rodríguez. Before Judge Leopoldo Puente, the woman has confirmed that she was hired as an administrative assistant for two and a half years in two public companies —Inco and Tragsatec – but that he never went to those jobs, they inform Eldiario.It is known sources of the content of the declaration. He has claimed that he collected a laptop and that he even did a course of occupational hazards but that, later, no one required to work.
The hiring of women in an entity dependent on the Ministry of Transport that directed Ábalos and another of the SEPI is one of the elements on which the judge has placed the focus. In one of her last resolutions, the magistrate claimed the identification of the people who hired her in two companies. Asked about it, Jéssica Rodríguez has said she does not remember who sent her contracts, but has recognized that it was Ábalos who told her that she “could be good to work” and that she sent her curriculum to him. He has also said that Joseba García, brother of exassor Koldo García, was his boss in Ineco, where he charged the minimum interprofessional salary (SMI). It is the same salary that was charged in Tragsatec.
In one of the UCO reports provided to the summary appears a conversation in which Jéssica Rodríguez directly warns of Ábalos that his contract as an administrative assistant in that public company expires in a few days. The former minister transmits to his advisor that message and he replies: “You have to go to another place and then return, it has been 18 months.” “Tell it,” reply to the lobbies. That conversation occurs on February 23, 2021. A week later, the woman signs a new contract with the public company Tragsatec, under the SEPI, for a period of six months.
The luxury floor in the center of Madrid
On the other hand, the woman has recognized that it was Ábalos who paid the floor located in the Plaza de España in Madrid, where she lived three years, between March 2019 and March 2022. “I do not know who paid the floor, I imagine that Mr. Ábalos coordinating it with Mr. Koldo,” he told questions from the instructor. “Like everything I had. If they gave me some flowers, even if Koldo bets, they were from Ábalos, ”he added shortly after. The UCO argues that the payment of the woman’s housing is another of the “consideration” that the former minister would have received as a result of their efforts for the plot.
The investigations have proved that the alleged leader, Víctor Aldama, paid up to 32 monthly payments of that rent: a total of 82,298.40 euros. He did it through his supposed Testaferro, Luis Alberto Escolano, and of his companies. In addition, the brother of exassor Koldo García and his minor daughter appear as payers of another two months of rent. The property is a luxury apartment located for which 2,700 euros were paid per month. The woman has admitted that she continued residing there up to two years after ending her relationship with Ábalos, but that she understood that it was a kind of consideration for the love disappointment she had suffered, because he “continued with his wife and children” despite the fact that he had promised that he was going to divorce.
Asked about this property, the former advisor of Ábalos gave a certainly unlikely explanation in his statement as investigated last December. He said he contacted Escolano to find accommodation for Jéssica Rodríguez because he was living in a 35 square meter floor and could only offer him a sofa. And that he offered to rent a property for her to reside and that, in turn, business meetings could be held there. According to Koldo García’s story, the businessman gave the floor for free, although as he and the woman collaborated by paying some monthly payments. Jéssica Rodríguez, however, has said that he never paid the rent of that property and that he used it exclusively.
Official trips with Ábalos
The judge also claimed the Ministry of Transportation and sustainable mobility to inform about the official trips in which Jéssica Rodríguez could have accompanied Ábalos between November 2018 and December 2022, as well as the identity of the person or the account number from which his expenses were paid. The UCO proved that it was 16 trips.
On this extreme, Jéssica Rodríguez has confirmed that “every month” was traveling with Ábalos and that, in “many” cases they were official displacements that he did for his status as minister. The woman has cited destinations such as London, Moscow or Abu Dhabi. And has recognized that she did not pay any expense. “Nothing. He has always paid everything Ábalos. Except when Koldo managed, but they also understood themselves and although Koldo managed it, then Ábalos paid it, ”he explained to questions from the judge. The woman has also recognized that, sometimes, the former minister gave him cash to pay for studies and things.
Entrepreneurs deny the bites
This Thursday, entrepreneurs Manuel Salles and José Ruz have also testified, whom Aldama accuses of paying bites in exchange for public works awards. The two have denied the payment of these commissions, as well as being awardee of the Ministry of Transportation in the time of Ábalos.
Ruz, manager and shareholder of the disappeared Constructora Levantina of Engineering and Construction, has declared that she hired Aldama to recover a debt of five million euros for a business in Panama that had not charged. According to his version, the commission agent would have accepted the commission in exchange for taking 20%.
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