The PP maintains three investigative commissions open in the Senate, with the Government in its sights, thanks to its absolute majority in the upper house. The most advanced of the three is the one that deals with Koldo case —baptized by the popular as Sánchez case o PSOE case—, which has already accumulated hours of sessions, and through which both the former advisor of former minister José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García Izaguirre, Ábalos himself and the ministers Ángel Víctor Torres and Fernando Grande-Marlaska have paraded. The Popular Party will soon expand the list of those appearing, among which is Ábalos’ ex-partner, Jéssica Rodríguez G., provided to Ábalos through the alleged corrupt network led by commission agent Víctor de Aldama.
The judge of the Supreme Court Leopoldo Puente, instructor of the case opened by At least four crimes: integration into a criminal organization, influence peddling, bribery and embezzlement. The instructor understands that “a time has come in which the evidence of qualified evidence” of Ábalos’s possible participation in the events makes it essential to obtain authorization from the Chamber to advance the investigation. The authorization, called a request, was later sent to Congress, which responded this Tuesday by dismissing the allegations of the former Minister of Transport, now a deputy of the Mixed Group after being expelled from the socialist bench.
After this step, Congress In parallel, his ex-partner, Jéssica Rodríguez G., will have to give explanations in the Senate investigation commission, with the obligation to go to the Upper House, although he may refuse to testify. One of the payments linked to the former minister that the Civil Guard includes in its reports is, “linked in a very personal way to Ábalos.” The payment of the rent for this home was made, according to the Central Operational Unit (UCO), through an alleged front man of Víctor Aldama, and people and companies under his control who paid amounts totaling 82,298 euros.
The PP has also added to its requests to appear the former chief of staff of President Pedro Sánchez, Iván Redondo. The summons of Jéssica Rodríguez and Redondo are yet to be defined, but those who do have the agenda already marked are the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha González Laya and the former Minister of Industry Reyes Maroto. The former president of the Canary Islands will have to attend the investigation commission for the second time next Tuesday the 21st, Laya for the first time, on Monday the 27th, and Maroto, on the 30th. However, the Popular Party still has not requested the appearance of Sánchez, who they consider ultimately responsible for the alleged corrupt network. “It is not so important when he is going to come, but rather what questions we have to ask him,” said the PP spokesperson in the Senate, Alicia García, at a press conference this Wednesday. The spokesperson has insisted on the justification given by the Popular Party as to why they do not call the President of the Government now: they wait for the investigation to continue advancing. Reason they do not give regarding the rest.
On the other hand, the parliamentary group of the Popular Party in the Senate is immersed in the preparations of another investigative commission focused on the devastating dana of last October 29, and whose work will begin before the end of January. The list of those appearing is unknown for now, but privately, parliamentary sources assure that the former Minister of Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera, ultimately responsible for the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, will be summoned. “Teresa Ribera has to come,” says the PP about the current vice president of the European Commission, who they hope will attend the Upper House in person. However, the popular party has left it up in the air for the moment if they will call “We have not decided who will appear,” the PP spokesperson in the Senate responded to the question of whether the head of the Consell will be included in the future list. “We will call experts because we want this Commission to shed light on what happened, an evaluation of possible reparations and to help develop prevention plans,” García stressed.
The third open research commission is focused on work carried out by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), directed by Félix Tezanos. And whose next session will be on Wednesday the 29th.
