Manuel Marraco Madrid
Madrid
Updated Wednesday, February 28, 2024-11:20
The key businessman in the mask plot has declared in the National Court that the benefits for his company were much lower than those estimated by the Prosecutor's Office and that he did not pay commissions for receiving the award from the Ministry of Transport.
Before Judge Ismael Moreno, Juan Carlos Cueto explained that with these operations to purchase medical supplies he did not seek to enrich himself, but rather acted for the benefit of the Spaniards.
According to the person investigated in the operation in which Koldo García, advisor to former minister José Luis Ábalos, was arrested, his profits ranged between 10% and 13% of the turnover, which was greater than 52 million euros.
The Anti-Corruption complaint estimates these benefits at around 35% of the business.
The Prosecutor's Office adds that two people who participated in the operation received commissions: Koldo García and the businessman Víctor de Aldama.
Cueto has only responded to his defense's questions, alleging that, although the case is no longer secret, it has not yet been possible to access the proceedings.
In addition to the Anti-Corruption prosecutor, the PP and Vox were also in court as popular accusations.
The businessman has defended the correctness of his actions and explained that in 2021 he commissioned an audit of the operations from KPMG that proves this.
At the end of the statement, prosecutor Luis Pastor asked the judge to prohibit Cueto from leaving Spain without court authorization as the only precautionary measure.
The businessman, therefore, has been released, as have the four people under investigation who appeared last week after their arrest.
Cueto appeared later because he was out of the country when the
Delorme operation
was uncovered .