The president of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ), Miguel Polo, was surprised on the day of the Dana that, during the Cecopi meeting – the organ of the Generalitat that coordinated the catastrophe – the former regional counselor Salome Pradas asked why the emergency was declared. This has been revealed by this leader this Friday during his statement as a witness to the Judge of Catarroja (Valencia) that investigates the flood that left 229 dead, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, as confirmed to El País sources present in his appearance.
“The counselor [Pradas] I asked why the emergency was declared. What was that. We did not give credit, ”said Polo, according to sources present in the statement.
During his story as a witness, a condition that forces him to tell the truth and to respond to all parties, the person responsible for this body that depends on the Ministry for Ecological Transition has also recalled that he requested at 6:00 p.m. on October 29 to send a notice to ask citizens to go up to the first plants of the buildings. At that time, the president Carlos Mazón still had 45 minutes of lunch in the central restaurant of Valencia The ventorro With the journalist Maribel Vilaplana. And there were still two hours for the Generalitat to send the alert to mobiles.
Polo has indicated to the judge that he received the notice to participate in the Cecopi – the organ of the Generalitat that coordinated the tragedy – at 4.23 hours, just over half an hour before the beginning. The leader participated in the meeting by videoconference. “The only thing I saw was the corner of a table. I only saw Jorge Suárez, deputy director of emergency, and another person who I do not know,” he said, according to sources present in his statement.
Polo’s testimony reveals itself essential. After remaining silent from the natural catastrophe that on October 29 left 229 dead and a trail of destruction in Valencia, the head of the CHJ has focused the hard envito of the Generalitat, the PP and the two former positions of the Executive of Carlos Mazón imputed: the former advice of justice and interior Salome Pradas and who was his second in the flood, Emilio Argüeso.
All reproached him not to have warned the autonomous administration of the magnitude of the tragedy and have neglected actions in enclaves such as the Poyo ravine, detonating the flood. A thesis that has vehemently dismantled the instructor. The magistrate rejected the request of the Defense of Argüeso to quote Polo as investigated.
