All the lights point to the same person. And the pressure this weekend from the PSOE has been directed at the former Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, for his advisor being the main person responsible for an alleged scheme of commissions in the sale of masks to public administrations governed by the PSOE during the pandemic. The Koldo case has had a full impact on the PSOE at a key moment, after its failure at the polls in Galicia and in the midst of the negotiation of the amnesty law.
All the anti-corruption lessons that the PSOE loaded on the PP in 2018 due to the Gürtel case are now returning to their roof and in the face of the parliamentary offensive that the Popular Party will deploy on Wednesday in the Government control session, the PSOE has tried to put put an end to this ordeal beforehand, announcing at a press conference his “unanimous” request to demand that his former Minister of Transport and former Secretary of Organization deliver the minutes to the socialist parliamentary group. Furthermore, in Ferraz they set a deadline for the socialist deputy. 24 hours maximum. “We hope that the delivery of the minutes will occur in the next 24 hours,” announced spokesperson Esther Peña at a press conference after the party's Executive this morning.
A claim that comes after a weekend of public statements by several socialist leaders, including the President of the Government, who reiterated his commitment against corruption and affirmed that this fight must be “relentless, wherever it comes from and falls.” whoever falls.” Therefore, now the PSOE with the complaint to the socialist deputy in 24 hours, suggests that they have tried privately to get the former minister to leave the minutes and avoid a public warning.
“We know that he is not investigated, nor charged, nor does his name appear in the investigation,” they acknowledge. “We do not consider ourselves judges, but the commission considers that there is a political responsibility. We hope that the minutes will be delivered in the next 24 hours,” explained the spokesperson. “Absolute transparency, no matter who falls.” The spokesperson has flatly rejected the possibility that people under investigation could be in her party, in reference to Ábalos' advisor. “There is no room for corruption here,” she concluded.
In fact, the spokesperson has acknowledged that “several people” are the ones who have spoken with Ábalos these days after learning about the case in which his advisor is involved. The socialists' claim indicates that, for the moment, Ábalos, – as he has stated in statements to the media – has no intention of leaving his record as a deputy in Congress. That is why Ferraz places all the pressure on him. “This decision has to be made by him, the result of personal reflection. I am sure that he will do what is best for the PSOE,” he assured.
At Ferraz, they will assess the next steps to take after the deadline given to Ábalos and avoid talking about a scenario in which the former minister does not deliver his minutes. “Ábalos is the best example of the orthodoxy of the party. I have no doubt that he will act accordingly for this greater good that is the PSOE,” reflected the socialist spokesperson, in a direct warning to Ábalos. what he owes.” The party's statutes allow Ferraz to make the final decision in the event that Ábalos does not deliver the minutes. According to article 67.3, if “the action caused by a person in the group is considered serious by the Federal Committee, This would have the power to proceed to remove him from the Parliamentary Group, proceeding to initiate the corresponding file, which will be processed by the Federal Commission of Ethics and Guarantees so that it dictates the resolutions to be adopted,” according to the statutes. However, Ábalos He will then be able to join as a deputy within the Mixed Group, of which seven deputies currently form part, after the four purple ones enter.
For its part, the PSOE will “immediately” register an investigation commission in the Congress of Deputies to analyze the purchase of health supplies by Public Administrations in the pandemic. “The first task that this investigative commission will occupy will be the case that affects the alleged collection of commissions by a former advisor to the Ministry of Transportation,” the spokesperson announced. Socialist sources assure that, later, they could resume other cases such as the investigation of the brother of the president of the Community of Madrid for commissions in the purchase of masks, despite the fact that Justice has archived that case.