SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 30th September (EUROPA PRESS) –
The intermediary Oswaldo Lastras, under investigation for the ‘masks case’ related to the advance payment of four million euros for one million masks that were never delivered, invoked his right not to testify before the investigative commission of the Parliament this Monday, stating only that he “never” offered or received any commissions.
“During my involvement in these events, I did not offer anyone in the Government of the Canary Islands or any administration a commission, nor did anyone from the administration offer me anything. Although I would prefer to clearly explain my involvement, I will, on the advice of my lawyer, exercise my right to remain silent, considering my status as an investigator in the judicial procedure currently examining these events,” he recounted.
Jesús Ramos (ASG) questioned Lastras about his connections to others under investigation, the reasons for his application for the purchase of masks, whether he was able to secure the agreed delivery, and why the masks could not be imported initially.
Vox spokesperson Nicasio Galván expressed his “embarrassment” at the lack of intervention by attendees during the commission, noting that the commission “costs money”, especially when individuals were allegedly “profiting” amidst the pandemic.
He inquired about the “connection” between Lastras and former SCS director Conrado Domínguez, intermediary Samuel Machín, and Rayco González, the administrator of RR7 United, the company that supplied the masks to the SCS.
Luis Campos, spokesperson for NC-BC, probed deeper into Lastras’ friendship with Conrado Domínguez, pointing out that although he was on the electoral slate for the Mogán municipal elections in 2019, he ultimately did not become a member.
Jennifer Curbelo (PP) emphasised that Lastras and Domínguez were “friends” from their past as handball players, according to media reports, highlighting that this friendship was “the driving force” behind the promotion of the mask purchase operation, aligning with the stance of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
He questioned Lastras on why he engaged in this operation without prior experience in selling medical supplies, and whether he had a second chance to provide the equipment due to their friendship. “Were they that close?” he pondered.
In his view, what has emerged here is a “club of cronies” comprised of individuals “lacking technical competence” who ventured into a business that more substantial companies in the health sector had abandoned.
ESPINO INQUIRES ABOUT ROMÁN RODRÍGUEZ
Vidina Espino, of the Nationalist Group, sought to understand the origin of Lastras’ friendship with Domínguez, whether he received any funds for facilitating the contract, and if he was acquainted with Román Rodríguez, president of NC-BC and vice president of the Canary Islands Government during the pandemic, alongside José Julián Istúriz, a member of the health emergency committee.
He included Lastras in a “circle of friends” consisting of RR7 advisor Pablo Carranza, brother-in-law of the company’s administrator, José Juan Arencibia, and former president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, who had shared food in Fuerteventura.
Miguel Ángel Pérez del Pino (PSOE) asserted that the deputies are not “judges”, criticising the nature of the questions directed at witnesses, and expressed a desire to know if anyone from the Government “profited” or offered any commissions.
