The Council of Tenerife will open a commission to investigate the call mediator case and the possible connections of the alleged corrupt plot thus denominated with the insular Corporation. He will have little room to investigate because the limit of his work is at the end of the current term, on May 28. This was confirmed by the secretary of the plenary questioned during the session. This body arises to “elucidate the political responsibilities that may derive from the activity of the former insular director of Sports, Ángel Luis Pérez Peña.” He originated the case by filing a false complaint against the mediator, Marco Antonio Navarro Tacoronte.
The proposal was a joint initiative of Sí Podemos Canary Islandswhere did he depart from, Canarian Coalition and the Popular Party. The non-attached director, María José Belda, presented an amendment that was rejected. The 31 councilors supported the original proposal, although the government team (PSOE and Cs) showed his reluctance and raised some nuances in the debate.
David Carballo, spokesman for the purples, defended the motion. He had already raised it verbally in the Debate on the State of the Island at the beginning of March without receiving explicit support. In the middle was the appearance on the 15th of last month of the Minister of Sports, Concepción Rivero, who was the boss of Pérez Peña.
Belda introduced in her amendment the nuance of urging the Governments of Spain and the Canary Islands to in turn open separate commissions. The proponents did not accept it because it could harm the composition and the operating tempos specified in points 2 and 3 of the text. Belda received 14 votes in favor and 17 against. The original proposal, by contrast, was unanimously supported.
Aarón Afonso, advisor to President Pedro Martín, defended the nuances of the government team: “I have doubts about how political responsibilities can be requested from those who are no longer in this institution.” He also stated that “I do not understand how in four years in office or anything similar has been raised with cases such as NAP, Geneto, Casinos or the 2017 and 2018 audits of companies.”
He recalled that, in addition, “in this case there has been absolute transparency and they have delivered all the requested documents.” Finally, he indicated that “I am not clear about the maneuvering capacity of this commission if it has the potential to end the mandate; that is, in two months. This is very serious to see this circus.
Despite everything, Afonso concluded: “My party has zero tolerance for corruption and offers full transparency.” If there has been something, in the Cabildo we have not detected anything, that it be paid because the gulfs have to pay ».
Carballo and Zaida gonzalez (PP) They valued “positively” the option provided by the Organic Regulations of the Cabildo, since it allows the convening of investigative commissions at the proposal of the government, two political groups or one-fifth of its members, as is the case in this case. The conclusions must be reflected in an opinion to be discussed in full.
The purpose of this Investigation Commission is “to determine the nature of the relations maintained by Pérez Peña with other administrations, institutions, entities, companies, positions and areas of the Cabildo and its president.” Also “identify said activities and relationships, as well as the political responsibilities in which the people and positions that were, where appropriate, may have been involved.”
The proposal in its second point specifies the composition of the Commission. The members will be members of the Corporation belonging to each political group, in addition to the non-attached counselor (María José Belda). The position of secretary will be held by an official while the president will be appointed by agreement of the three proposing groups, and may fall on a person outside the Commission or a member of it.
The third and last point clarifies that the Commission «will have started its activity and will have approved the Work Plan before the end of the current mandate of the Island Council; that is, on May 28, 2023 ».
