Angela Martialay

Gema Peñalosa Madrid

Madrid

Updated Thursday, February 22, 2024-02:39

  • Investigation The arrest warrant for Koldo, Ábalos' advisor: he used his "relationship with authorities" to collect "cash" commissions

  • Investigation The manna of 55 million public funds to the ghost company of the 'Koldo Case' was cut off the same week as Ábalos' dismissal

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office

spent a total of 17 months

secretly investigating the man most trusted by former Minister José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García Izaguirre, until last September asking the National Court to take over the investigations into the blows caused by the sale. of medical supplies after the awards made mainly by the

Ministry of Transportation

.

Anti-corruption, which has carried the weight of the investigation with absolute secrecy in the last two years, focused on the different contracts acquired by the company

Soluciones de Gestión y Apoyo a Empresas SL

in the worst moments of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the population was confined and the deaths in

Spain

were counted in the hundreds.

The first contracts were denounced in the department headed by the chief prosecutor

Alejandro Luzón

by the parliamentary group of the Popular Party of Madrid and, of all the investigative proceedings initiated, the only one that has been prosecuted - through the filing of a complaint - has been the one that affects the contracts awarded mainly by the Ministry of Transport to Management Solutions.

The investigation began in April 2022 with the analysis of different contracts for the supply of masks and other health protection materials against the coronavirus that were processed by the Ministry of Ábalos through the negotiated procedure without publicity and of an emergency nature.

Some of them were awarded by

Adif

and others by

Puertos del Estado

.

The turnover of the company Soluciones de Gestión was zero euros in 2019, compared to the 53.13 million it obtained in 2020, as a result of direct public awards related to Covid-19. .

According to sources from the investigation to

EL MUNDO

, in those negotiations for the express awards, Koldo García allegedly played a particularly relevant role, whom the investigators of the case place as "the main person responsible" for the criminal network.

The Anticorruption complaint gave rise to the 'punctures'

Both Anti-Corruption and the UCO were greatly struck by the large increase in assets that the right-hand man of former Minister Ábalos had had during the pandemic with numerous cash deposits into his accounts, acquisition of several properties in a short time frame, etc.

In short, an increase in assets not justified by his official income that extended to his family circle.

For example, with the purchase of an apartment by his wife,

Patricia Úriz

- also detained by the UCO - in

Benidorm

at the end of 2020 or another property acquired in the same Alicante town by her brother in nearby dates, as well as a piece of land. rustic house of more than 600 square meters in

Polop (Alicante)

purchased by Ábalos' advisor.

Currently, one of the lines of investigation focuses on determining the total number of people who benefited from the collection of illegal commissions of the more than 50 million that the company Soluciones de Gestión received.

The fact was relevant that, once the head of the

Central Court of Instruction Number 2

of the National Court

Ismael Moreno

assumed the case, telephone interventions were carried out that reinforced the evidence against the main investigated, indicate the sources consulted.

After the contracts, Koldo and his family bought several properties

In the so-called

Delorme operation

- named after the French doctor

Charles de Lorme

, creator of the masks - crimes of criminal organization, influence peddling, bribery and money laundering for contracts with various administrations are investigated.

Last Tuesday, a total of 26 entries and searches and 20 arrests were made by the Central Operational Unit of the Civil Guard (UCO).

Agents arrested Koldo García, his wife and his brother for awarding contracts for health products and then allegedly collecting illegal commissions.

The investigations carried out by the elite unit of the Civil Guard extended to eight provinces and the arrests occurred in

Madrid, Murcia and Alicante

.

Among those arrested is also the president of the

Zamora Football Club, Víctor de Aldama

, a businessman and close friend of Minister Ábalos.

Researchers also attribute Aldama a relevant role in the negotiation of the million-dollar contracts during the pandemic.

In the operation, another businessman linked to the company Soluciones de Gestión y Apoyo a Empresas,

José Ángel E.

, was also arrested, although he was released, as was the case with Koldo García's wife, who was also released after her arrest. arrest.

The case remains under summary secrecy.

The detainees are scheduled to be brought before the court tomorrow.