The opposition rejects the lack of clarity and that responsibilities are not assumed and CC opens the door to the investigation commission
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, March 15 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Pedro Martín, has underestimated this Wednesday the contacts maintained with the businessman Antonio Navarro -present in the Plenary Hall- and has once again denied the involvement of the corporation in the ‘Meditor case’.
In an extraordinary plenary session lasting more than two hours, he has indicated that the corporation will appear in the case if legally possible and has asked himself “where is the plot” in the Cabildo if no one is investigated –although there is a piece separate open– and there are “zero” irregular hires.
At one point in the session, tense at times, Martín had a confrontation when Navarro Tacoronte tried to intervene. “This is not a circus, you cannot intervene if you do not go outside,” he snapped at the mediator.
Faced with criticism from the opposition, he has commented that he does not have to “hide from anything” and has reported that he held a meeting with the mediator in the Cabildo office in which he advised him against continuing to have Ángel Pérez as island director because ” Things were not going well for him.”
He has admitted that he “listened to him and looked at “messages” that he sent him in case there was any irregularity “but only that he wanted political meetings” and did not present any information.
The president has described Navarro Tacoronte as someone who “tries to win the favor of the people” and that is why he tells Manuel Domínguez, president of the PP of the Canary Islands, that he “wants to end Los Realejos” from the Cabildo –conversation denied by Martin–.
He has given as an example a visit he made to the Guía de Isora City Council, in 2017, when he met with a councilor in the hands of a bank to negotiate the sponsorship of sports teams but no agreement was reached nor was there “favorable treatment”. “.
Martín has insisted that “in everything that has been investigated there is no criminal offense” nor has it been shown that Ángel Pérez has intervened in any contract or a report from an official was folded to grant a subsidy.
“THERE IS NOTHING TO HIDE”, SAYS MARTÍN
“There is nothing to hide, if we catch someone with the slightest mistake, we will go against him, whoever he is,” he highlighted.
Along these lines, he has detailed that they have found “nothing” neither in artificial turf contracts nor in the purchase of cars, “another case”, he has raised, is the “particular behavior” of Ángel Pérez, who was “pissed off” because he had lost the lawsuit. “I accepted his resignation and to continue with his personal battles with Navarro,” he has indicated.
He has also denied that he had introduced Navarro to the island director, stressing that the mediator “signs up to take photos with whoever he can”, and has insisted that his “obsession” was to have political conversations and ingratiate himself with him. “Luckily I kept my distance,” she said.
The Minister of Sports, Concepción Rivero, has stated that she will resign from her position if any “fixing” is confirmed in the contracts in her area linked to the ‘Mediator plot’ and has warned that they do not try to “stain” her “honour”. because she has been a judge during her professional career and this case is “a terrible shame”.
Rivero has made it clear that in his area there are no “illicit” but at the same time he has acknowledged that what can be negotiated “at other tables” escapes him, stressing that the Cabildo has not “been notified of anything.”
He has indicated that the appointment of Pérez was proposed by the PSOE and that he met the appropriate qualifications and that he was dismissed on January 31 by the president, alluding to “personal reasons”, although he was also aware of “news” where it was reflected a filed fraud complaint that ended in a false complaint.
RIVERO: ÁNGEL PÉREZ CONFESSED THAT HE HAD BEEN SCAMMED
Along these lines, he has indicated that he came to his office to say goodbye and told him that he had been “ripped off” by Navarro and was dissatisfied with the judicial decision and “at the date of his dismissal” in the Cabildo there was no record of any irregular activity.
He has said that administrative or sanctioning measures cannot be taken against Pérez once dismissed, but he understands that “if there is criminal behavior, he will have to assume criminal consequences.”
Rivero has also denied that the Cabildo has negotiated with the mediator contracts to put artificial grass or with a camp in the north of the island. “It’s all embarrassing, it turns my guts up,” he added.
The non-attached counselor, María José Belda, has said that the case is “shameful and appalling” because it “reminds the Roldán case” and puts on the table that the political system “does not work, it is corrupt”, while demonstrating that the Island directors must be civil servants and not politicians.
ARRIAGA: “CORRUPT ARE PEOPLE, NOT INSTITUTIONS”
The Cs spokesman, Enrique Arriaga, has said that “people are corrupt, not the institutions” and if a public office has deviated from its function “they must pay for it” but has made it clear that the institution “cannot be stained” .
David Carballo, spokesman for Sí Podemos, has wondered whether “no one” assumes political responsibility for the appointment of Ángel Pérez who “allegedly used his position to benefit”, while he is “strange” that neither the president nor the directors knew of their “goings”.
The PP spokeswoman, Zaida González, has said that “the audios” of Navarro Tacoronte deny the version of Pedro Martín, which also “has been changing” and shows that “it is not clear” in a case in which there is a separate piece that affects the council. “He has not given the chest”, she has blurted out to Martín.
Verónica Messeguer (CC-PNC), has remarked that the Cabildo “is the zero kilometer of the case” because the insular sports director “allegedly used his position to do business” and “bribery and influence peddling” is being investigated.
“It is not a personal matter and he has not condemned what Ángel Pérez has done, he has only said that he has chosen his friends badly,” he indicated.
He has pointed out that there are “reports” that indicate that Martín knew the facts and for this reason he has announced that his group is considering joining the investigation commission proposed by Sí Podemos and is going to request a new appearance by the president.
His colleague, Antolín Goya, has regretted that the Government does not assume its “political responsibility” and only generates “misgivings and uncertainties with changes in statements” and “lack of transparency.”
