• Politics. The lawyer of Podemos: "I have been fired to cover their bonuses in black"
  • United Podemos.Internal earthquake in Podemos with accusations of sexual harassment and "financial irregularities, in primary and in consultations"

The lawyer of Podemos purged by the party after investigating its financial irregularities has uncovered for the first time the supposed existence of a B box in the formation led by Pablo Iglesias. José Manuel Calvente , in an exclusive interview with EL MUNDO, says that "the party wants to cover its corruption." "My dismissal has been the culmination of the process we carried out to uncover irregularities in the game," he says.

Among them, this lawyer highlights the payment of "black bonuses" to top party leaders. An operation criticized to the full by Podemos for having been carried out in the ranks of the PP and that, according to Calvente, was also successfully implemented in the purple formation.

But it also emerges the existence of internal espionage, theft of hard drives with sensitive information and, even, theft of computer equipment to cover infidelities among members of the political formation. The former member of the legal team of the party, who was also a man of the maximum confidence of its leader, Pablo Iglesias, argues that he treasures notebooks with “annotations” that reflect the payments made under the box B of Podemos and is willing to make the documentation available to Justice. "All the evidence I have of the barbarities that have been made in the game I will deliver to the judge," he says.

According to Calvente, both he and the lawyer of the formation, Monica Carmona , opposed the illegalities they detected and were, immediately afterwards, "victims of harassment." "First of all we are professionals, we are not politicians," he emphasizes. "We are not positions of trust of the party and we have the obligation to comply with the law."

As for the endless irregularities that have been discovered, it points out, first of all, those concerning the handling of confidential data. «We have detected irregularities in data protection. They wanted to transfer personal data to an external company so that a vote could take place; they intended to share data illegally with other parties; and have given personal data to Facebook for the election campaign ». "I have denounced all this before the Data Protection Agency, " says Calvente. "In addition, I suspect they have stolen data from Podemos to pass it on to More Country."

Among the rosary of illegalities that denounces underlines a "labor block." "Dismissals are taking place without complying with the law, as was the case of the escort of Irene Montero and more people who are not relevant media to try to cover up an ERE." "They have also used congressional employees for party tasks during the election campaign."

In the financial plot "we have detected bonuses, about 900 euros per month -600 in payroll and the rest in black- of the treasurer and the party manager."

To which adds "payments without approved budget" or operations to "block the transparency portal." According to this newspaper sources of the party assure, "the new officials have raised the salary above the Code of Ethics by means of non-existent supplements in the budgets of the party." Specifically, the people consulted explain that one way to increase the ceiling of three minimum wages established by the party would be to pass through amounts that had nothing to do with work in the party.

In addition, always according to the same sources, some leaders would have made use of a provision that includes the General Regulations of Podemos that establishes «temporary compensation for extraordinary situations of a personal or consubstantial nature to the mandate entrusted».

Party management has responded to the allegations of Calvente and Carmona accusing the first of sexual harassment to justify his dismissal. Calvente denies it: «No one has told me that I have a complaint from a co-worker and my witnesses are going to knock everything down. What has happened here is that they have gone crazy and are insane. Irene Montero is hysterical because her ministry is being played ».

«The alleged author of the false accusations against me is Marta Flor , who had to be separated from the legal team of Podemos by Gloria Elizo for various irregularities that put the work of the team at risk. For reasons that are not understood, he was protected by the manager and the Secretary of Organization, Alberto Rodríguez ». «They are a mafia, they carry out mafia actions. The last step they are taking in their mafia strategy is to fabricate false evidence, ”he adds.

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