UDEF agents carry out an operation at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health
This Thursday, at 8:30 a.m., agents from the Central Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police of Las Palmas and Madrid carried out an operation at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health of the government of Canary Islands. The objective of this operation is to collect information related to the mask case.
The agents are searching for emails, documents and digital files linked to the former director of the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS), Conrado Domínguez, and the former director of Economic Resources, Ana María Pérez. These proceedings are part of the ongoing investigation.
The case of the masks and the accusations against Conrado Domínguez
The mask case focuses on the 4 million euros paid during the pandemic to the company RR7 United for one million masks that were never received. These masks were destroyed after they were discovered to be counterfeit. Conrado Domínguez is being investigated for alleged crimes of influence peddling and administrative prevarication in relation to this case.
Conrado Domínguez resigned in November 2022, after two years in office during the government of socialist Ángel Víctor Torres. The Las Palmas Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office filed a complaint for the mask case and requested the registration of the emails that same year. The case was transferred to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is now investigating the use of community funds in this case.
The ongoing investigation and the statements of Conrado Domínguez
Conrado Domínguez availed himself of his right not to testify before the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming that he did not have access to all the information related to the case. In March 2023, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office lifted the secrecy of the proceedings and requested the collaboration of the delegations of Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom to obtain more information about the case.
The case of the masks and other ongoing investigations
During the investigation of the mask case, the possible involvement of other people has been pointed out, such as Rayco González’s wife and the company Yilhal Importe and Export. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is also investigating other contracts of the Canarian Health Service in the framework of the Koldo case, which involve a total amount of 12.3 million euros.
The National Court is also investigating a series of contracts related to this case. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has transferred four of these contracts to the European Prosecutor’s Office, since it is suspected that European funds were used in their payment.
