The judge of the National Court releases the detainees with preventive measures
The judge of the National Court, Ismael Moreno, has released with preventive measures Koldo García, the former adviser of José Luis Ábalos, and three others arrested in the case that investigates the alleged collection of illegal commissions in healthcare contracts during the covid pandemic.
The other three arrested who have been released are Koldo García, his brother, Joseba García, the president of Zamora CF., Víctor de Aldama, and businessman Iñigo Rotaetxe.
All the detainees have accepted their right not to testify this Thursday before the judge of the National Court. The precautionary measures requested are regular court appearances and withdrawal of the passport.
Civil Guard agents take a statement from the Secretary of State for Security
This Wednesday agents of the Civil Guard took a statement as a witness from the Secretary of State for Security and ‘number two’ of Fernando Grande-Marlaska at the Ministry of the Interior, Rafael Pérez, in relation to the investigation into the alleged irregular purchases of sanitary material.
Investigation of arrests and searches
The investigation, led by the National Court and in which the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office and the Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard participate, was deployed this Wednesday in up to eight provinces throughout the Spanish state and carried out 26 searches in an operation that has resulted, for the moment, in the arrest of 20 people, among whom was Koldo García, his wife, Patricia Uritz Iriarte; his brother, Joseba García.
The case is being prosecuted for crimes of criminal organization, influence peddling, money laundering and against the Public Treasury, in the context of an investigation into the purchase and award of medical equipment.
Research on the acquisition of health equipment
The judicial investigation for which Koldo García Izaguirre had been arrested focuses on the acquisition of medical equipment that was made by the ministries of the Interior and Transport, and of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, during the pandemic.
In total, all the administrations involved acquired material worth 53 million euros. In the case of the Ministry of the Interior, it was Rafael Pérez who signed the award of protective material for Interior staff to the company Solucions de Gestión i Suport a l’Empresa for a value of 3,479,355 euros .
With the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic, the Spanish government and the local authorities were looking for the best suppliers to buy masks en masse. Precisely, at this moment is when the UCO places the alleged maneuvers of Koldo García to obtain an enrichment through his mediation in the purchase.
Ábalos’ advisor allegedly participated in the negotiations to obtain the products and allegedly took bribes for the contracts that he later tried to launder through various investments.
The Ministry of Transport also managed the agreements with different airlines to bring the masks to Spain.
