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The judge will interrogate 57 defendants and witnesses in a month to promote the 'Punic case'

2020-12-21T00:58:49.266Z


Among those cited as being investigated there are former mayors and councilors of the PP, advisers, former high-ranking regional officials, a former regional deputy and businessmen


Archive image of Judge Manuel García-Castellón upon his arrival at the National Court. Mariscal / EFE

There are former mayors and councilors of the PP, advisers, former senior officials, a former regional deputy and businessmen.

Between January 18 and February 22, the judge of the National Court Manuel García-Castellón will interrogate 24 defendants, 31 witnesses and two experts to promote the investigation of the

Punic case

of corruption.

The case, which must be concluded in July 2021, turns six and a half years old and so far only one of the twelve pieces into which it is divided has been tried.

Among those called to testify as accused are the former mayors of the PP Ana Kringe (Denia), Juan Antonio Bataller (Castellón), Juan Carlos Boza (Valdemoro) and Narciso de Foxá (Majadahonda), and the former deputy in the Valencian Courts Víctor Soler Beneyto.

All of them will do so in separate piece number 10, in which the alleged diversion of public funds to pay for work to improve the image on the Internet of public officials of the Conservative party in city councils and ministries of Madrid and the Valencian Community is investigated.

Claudio José Reig, chief of staff of the former mayor of Denia, and the communication director of the Alcobendas town hall, María Teresa Alonso-Majagranzas, as well as Abel Linares, linked to one of Alejandro de Pedro's companies, will also declare these facts. the computer expert of the plot who carried out the work.

In this piece they have already declared as investigated in the last weeks Pablo Balbín, current director of the cabinet of the Culture delegate of the Madrid City Council, Andrea Levy;

and the former mayors of Coslada Raúl López Vaquero and Ignacio García de Vinuesa of Alcobendas.

The latter resigned in November as Commissioner for Victims of Terrorism of the Community of Madrid after being charged.

In most cases they are charged with crimes of fraud, embezzlement, falsification of documents and influence peddling.

The judge has also cited as investigated two former high-ranking officials of the Community of Madrid: Álvaro de Arenzana and Miguel Ángel Valdepeñas.

The first was, between 2005 and 2011, deputy manager of the Madrid Development Institute (Imade), a now defunct body under the Ministry of Economy that was allegedly used to divert public funds to box b of the PP in Madrid with which it financed part of the electoral campaigns that Esperanza Aguirre won.

Valdepeñas, who became deputy minister of the Environment, will be questioned about the contracts that the Ciempozuelos (Madrid) city council awarded to Waiter Music, a party organization company investigated for irregular financing of the PP.

The builder David Marjaliza, the confessed leader of the plot and who since 2015 has been collaborating with justice, and the businessman José Luis Capita will also testify.

Both were partners in the Vancouver business which, in turn, is the main shareholder of the construction company Obrum, involved in the alleged collection of millionaire commissions in the works of the Madrid Metro and its subsequent diversion to the alleged leader of the plot, the former Madrid councilor Francisco Granados.

In Capita's case, the judge is also investigating the discovery of an account in Switzerland in his name with about 700,000 euros.

Two other shareholders, Javier Aldavert Piñol and Antonio Martín Jiménez, must also appear as investigated.

The judge also wants to promote piece number 11, whose epicenter is Alfedel SL, a company that offered its services to teacher cooperatives to facilitate the construction of concerted schools on public land, mainly in Madrid.

The plot allegedly pocketed 19 million euros for these fixes.

For these events, the owner of the company, Alfonso Ferrón, and its financier, Ángel Bravo, will testify, as well as a long list of witnesses.

Finally, Javier Cid Sicluna —brother of a person involved in the plot, the constructor Ramiro Cid— and the former head of the El Corte Inglés Department Faustino José Soriano will attend.

In his case, due to the alleged irregularities in an urban operation carried out between 2001 and 2006 in Valdemoro (Madrid) with land owned by the business group.

In this operation, the plot allegedly pocketed 60 million euros.

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2020-12-21

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