In the PSOE they claim to breathe “easy” despite the serious accusations made this Thursday by the businessman and alleged commission agent in the Koldo case, Victor de Aldamaagainst half the Government of Pedro Sánchez, including the president, and heavyweights in the rose party. “Everything this man has said is categorically false.“said the leader of the Executive and general secretary of the socialists, defending his innocence and that of his formation.
For this reason, the party is studying the legal actions it will take against Aldama once the information that appeared in the press about his testimony before the investigating judge is confirmed. Pedro Sánchez’s party is clear that it will act “against him”, threatening to delve deeper into his judicial ordeal. The considered “leader” of the plot to collect illegal commissions for the purchase of masks during the pandemic is in provisional prison for his alleged involvement in a plot of hydrocarbon VAT fraud of more than 180 million euros. “As if he didn’t have criminal problems, now he will have more,” they add from Ferraz.
Another voice from the Executive points out that in the party they were wary of the statement of the alleged commissioner of the Koldo casebut he affirms that they did not expect what he was going to say or who he was going to shoot. “When you don’t do it, you don’t fear it,” summarizes the socialist leadership, discarding the absence of evidence that confirms these accusations.
And, without providing any evidence, Aldama assured that Pedro Sanchez “he asked” to meet him and, in their first meeting, the socialist general secretary thanked him “what I was doing” in relation to his negotiations with Mexico, linked to the project of the Maya Trends. Also, Aldama said that it was expected that the vice president of the Venezuelan dictatorship, Delcy Rodriguezhad dinner with Sánchez and five of his ministers during his controversial visit to Spain in January 2020. Specifically, he identified Teresa Ribera, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, José Luis Ábalos, Maria Jesus Montero y Salvador Illa.
But Aldama’s statement in the National Court, which he requested voluntarily, did not only point out Sánchez. The commission agent assured that he had a relationship with the current Secretary of Organization of the party, Santos Cerdanto whom – always according to his version reported in the media – he paid 15,000 euros. Regarding his influence and business with the Ministry of Transportation, Aldama reported that these resulted in bites to Koldo García worth 100,000 euros and to Ábalos, whom he supposedly paid 250.000 euros. Likewise, he acknowledged being behind the purchase of the chalet in Cádiz for the former minister and the rental of the luxury apartment in the center of Madrid for his ex-partner.
The investigated also said that the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory and former president of the Canary Islands Government, Angel Victor Torresasked him for 50,000 euros through Koldo, but the alleged commission agent refused: “I am not the Bank of Spain and you are going too far”.
His statement did not leave anyone in the PSOE indifferent. According to sources from the socialist leadership, the President of the Government himself telephoned Santos Cerdán because he could not believe the information published about his alleged link with the commission agent. The Secretary of Organization of the party also spoke with Torres, who called him astonished by the statements made by Aldama about him.
In addition to Sánchez, the majority of those accused used the loudspeaker of Congress to deny all these accusations. “I have not received money, the President of the Government has not received money, nor has Ángel Víctor (Torres) nor (the Chief of Staff of the Minister of Finance) Carlos Moreno. “It is absolutely false,” he said in the morning. Santos Cerdan.
“It is an absolute lie,” said the second and number two vice president of the PSOE. Maria Jesus Monteroin questions from journalists in the halls of Congress after these accusations became known. The Minister of Finance framed these allusions within a mere “embarrassing” judicial strategy of the commission agent. “There has never ever been what this man is saying, not even in meetings, we do not even know this man personally and, therefore, everything that this person is saying is false,” said Montero in statements collected by EFE.
Likewise, the socialist spokesperson in Congress, Patxi Lópezemphasized along these lines: De Aldama “blatantly lies to defend himself” and “tries to divert the attention that is on him today.” For the PSOE leader, the commission agent “tries to mess everything up, but everything he has said is a lie,” said López, in addition to asserting that Pedro Sánchez “has not had any relationship” with this businessman.
In essence, Moncloa and the Pink Party attribute his statements to an attempt to “divert attention, sow doubts and cover up what apparently seem like certain criminal activities on the part of this person,” as summarized by Sánchez, who ironically his statement: “It is proof that this character’s defense strategy is lies,” he concluded.
