The former Health Councillor states that he has no “knowledge” of the contracts and denies that the Management Committee authorised the procurement of materials.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 11 Apr. (Press Europa) –
The former Health Councillor of the Canary Islands Government, Blas Trujillo, acknowledged this Friday the “failed contract” with RR7, a company that received an advance payment of four million euros in two instalments for one million masks that were never delivered, as they were confiscated by customs for being counterfeit.
During an appearance before the Investigative Commission of the Canary Islands Parliament regarding the acquisition of medical supplies, he stated that he discovered this contract through the media and mentioned that he reported the matter two days later in the Assembly.
Trujillo expressed his “shock” upon learning about the customs destruction of the masks and noted that the situation was reviewed by the government, which also considered the appeal process in the judicial case and urged the Canarian Tax Agency to recover the funds.
He acknowledged the “serious repercussions” this contract entailed but clarified that this was the “only contract” with administrative anomalies, asserting that others linked to management solutions or Megalab, associated with the ‘Koldo case’, do not “add up,” although “other related issues” are being investigated.
Trujillo pointed out that he does not know “anyone” connected to any of these companies and insisted that a Health Minister cannot have an “understanding” of the contracts signed by the SCS, as possessing such knowledge would impede his responsibilities.
He even confessed that he did not read the report from the general intervention covering 2021. “A councillor cannot read everything,” he clarified.
In this context, he emphasised that his role was to ensure there was an adequate stock of materials, monitor public health indicators, and track care pressure data to prevent hospital overload.
“I do not know what the SCS is,” he countered when challenged by the deputy of Grupo Popular, Fernando Techat, emphasising that the responsibility for contracts lay with the General Directorate of Economic Resources of the SCS, led by Ana María Pérez.
Trujillo noted that there was “never” any discussion in the Health Management Committee regarding contracts or orders issued to officials about any specific contract, a responsibility that was held by Ana María Pérez and the SCS director under his supervision, Conrado Domínguez.
In fact, reflecting on political accountability, he remarked that it is “clear” that they are no longer in charge of these functions while also being responsible for renegotiating the contract with RR7 for the second payment of two million.
He mentioned that it was he who recommended Domínguez as the SCS director and acknowledged that he was removed “for loss of confidence,” insisting that no member of the ‘Flower Pact’ is under investigation regarding procurement during the pandemic.
The situation was “alarming”
Trujillo recalled that the situation was “alarming” in the initial months of the pandemic as “very little was known” about COVID-19 and there was a “very limited supply” of medical materials, with China being the “global supplier,” leading to health companies which were unable to meet market demands.
He stated that the Public Contract Law was “inadequate” to handle the procurement of supplies, resulting in a decree law being sanctioned in March, which allowed for payments to be advanced even at the “risk of insolvency” for public finances. The EU was said to have asserted, “do anything” to secure materials.
He provided examples where there were “completed contracts,” and subsequently, an “auction” was launched in China, creating considerable “volatility” in prices, revealing that private health sectors lost three million euros for materials not received, and all administrations and companies acquired materials that were “unsuitable” at various points.
He also remarked that the Canarian society left as a “legacy” the “best control” of mortality during the pandemic, and looking to the future, should new pandemics arise, he stated that “greater legal certainty” must be achieved both in contracts and for those accountable within the departments themselves because they “sign.”
