Koldo García managed to put masks on the Interior indicating that he had "a window of opportunity" in China

The plot contacted the general director of Coordination and Studies, José Antonio Rodríguez

MADRID, 7 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Koldo García, former advisor to former Minister José Luis Ábalos, and person who emerges as key in the plot being investigated by the National Court regarding the sale of masks to various State entities during the pandemic, was the one who contacted the Ministry of the Interior through the general director of Coordination and Studies, José Antonio Rodríguez, to whom he pointed out that the company in the plot -- Management Solutions -- "had a window of opportunity" to acquire this material from China.

This is reflected in the statement made by José Antonio Rodríguez as a witness before the agents of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard on February 21, to which Europa Press has had access.

The senior official of the Ministry headed by Fernando Grande-Marlaska indicated that he formally "had no participation" in the emergency file 20V019 of which Soluciones de Gestión was awarded - and for which they paid 3.5 million euros - but He did tell Daniel Belmar, who was in charge of the General Subdirectorate of Planning and Management of Infrastructure and Media of the Secretary of State for Security, that some Development entity "was bringing masks from China."

The agents who questioned him, after that statement, wanted to know how he knew about those Public Works purchases, and Rodríguez told them that one of the people he had contact with "was Koldo, advisor to the Minister of Public Works," and that he told him that "they were chartering planes to bring masks from China to Spain."

Regarding whether Koldo García gave him the contact for Management Solutions, he said that he did not remember the name of the company but he did put him in contact with Íñigo --Rotaeche-- (also investigated in the case) whose last name he did not know. Regarding the chronology that led to acquiring the masks with that company, Rodríguez recalled that "through Koldo they knew that they had a window of opportunity" but that they did not carry out any type of prior investigation of the supplier.

And he warned that he did not have any type of professional or work relationship with Koldo García, who met him "in the framework of the search for masks for the Secretary of State for Security that concluded with the award to Management Solutions."

Furthermore, he did acknowledge that he contacted the company, "a mere prior contact to find out if the supply of masks was feasible," but that then the entire file fell on the figure of Commissioner Daniel Belmar.

In their investigations to find out why the Interior contracted the 'Koldo plot', the Civil Guard also questioned Belmar, who has now retired from service due to retirement, but which was the position that, as confirmed, "made all the previous arrangements, such as contact the company --Management Solutions--, determine where the supply was going to be deposited or to whom it was going to be delivered. And he confirmed that there were up to two delivery contracts with the plot company.

However, he indicated that he never met with anyone from the company since everything was managed by telephone, and that the Interior contracted with them because they were aware that the Ministry of Transportation had achieved this route to bring masks in the middle of the pandemic.

In this sense, he emphasized that he did not know who brought that supplier to Transportation but that he was informed by the Coordination and Studies Office, specifically José Antonio Rodríguez, "who is the one who unifies the decisions that affect the directions." generals of the Civil Guard and National Police".

Like Rodríguez, Belmar indicated that he did not make any inquiries about the company "due to the urgent need to attend to the acquisition of material" and that he did not know if there was an inter-ministerial meeting to choose that supplier.

And he confirmed that he, due to the position he held, was the person responsible for deciding the award under investigation and others that were made at that time.

In the extensive round of testimonies carried out by the UCO, they also questioned the Secretary of State for Security, Rafael Pérez, 'number 2' of Grande-Marlaska, on February 21.

Regarding the contract with Management Solutions, he confirmed that he participated in both the emergency declaration and the contract, "both with this company and with the rest of the awarded companies."

Regarding whether he had a relationship with Koldo García, he indicated that he knew him since he was a Development advisor: "There was a professional relationship, since Koldo was an advisor to the Minister of Development." But he pointed out that he did not meet either Víctor de Aldama, the organizer of the plot, or Juan Carlos Cueto, the businessman alleged to be the 'brain' of the organization.