“I have many people in my charge”with these words,Felix Bolaños, Minister of Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes has assured Judge Juan Carlos Peinado who has “forgotten” how she hired Begoña’s advisor. Bolaños has given a statement this Wednesday as witness in it Begoña case in an appearance that has lasted three hours.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has summoned him for the investigation into the hiring of Cristina Álvarez As a personal advisor for the wife of the president of the Government, Begoña Gómez, in his private businesses. Sources present in the interrogation ensure that he was tense and that he has responded with evasive.
Félix Bolaños has defended before the judge that hiring It was legalHowever, he has admitted that he was immersed, when he was hired in 2018, in form government after the motion of censure. He has assured before the judge that he has a lot of personnel assigned to the three ministries he leads and that Cristina Álvarez is one more worker.
Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, head of the Court of Instruction number 41 of Madrid, has moved to the Moncloa complex to take a statement to Bolaños at 10.30 am, within the judicial process where Begoña Gómez is investigated for alleged crimes of Influence traffic, corruption in business, improper appropriation and intrusion.
Has done it in A car facilitated by the Government Presidency that had police security. The Bolaños testimony has begun a few minutes late because the cameras were poorly placed.
Declared another high position of Bolaños
The investigating judge has summoned Bolaños after Alfredo Gonzálezwho in July 2018 exercised as Deputy Secretary General of the presidency of the Government and managed the proposal of appointment of Álvarez as an advisor of Gómez, he would identify him as his hierarchical superior at that time.
Last February, González, former Secretary of State, explained during his testimony that I didn’t know Álvarez nor to the majority of people whose appointments processed, and who did not remember whether or not he had reviewed the curriculum of the current advisor.
«I just sent the competent body for the appointment of the Proposals for eventual personnel That, as established by the basic statute of the public employee, since the appointment and cessation is eventual, ”he said.
During that interrogation, the judge asked him Who was reporting In that period and if he had commented with someone the proposal to appoint the current advisor of Begoña Gómez. The witness claimed not to remember having dealt with the matter with any superior and insisted that He prosecuted “many” appointments Because “it was a period of change of government, which is when all eventual staff is replaced.”
The magistrate showed strangeness: «Forgive to insist so much, but it is that it is powerfully attracted to those who have some kind of link with the public administration. This is not usual, but quite the opposite, they are demanded quite rigid and quite selective processes to appoint someone who will receive amounts charged to the General State Budgets. So, I insist, do you make this proposal Without knowing anyonewith all these details?
González confirmed that It was usual to be “eventual personal.” “Those requirements that you mention, in the specific case of this type of personnel, do not operate,” he said.
Next, the judge asked him again who depended: “Who was then the person who held this position.” The witness indicated that it was «Félix Bolaños», Whom he placed as his direct boss, with whom he held meetings” every day “to manage” multitude of affairs “in La Moncloa.
Office in Moncloa
While initially the magistrate raised questioning Bolaños at the ministerial headquarters Justice, on San Bernardo Street in Madrid with the Saunas of the father of Begoña Gómez, he finally accepted move to the Moncloa complex At the request of the Minister. The person in charge of Justice argued that, for reasons of “security”, its person responsible for escorts considered that the appearance would be carried out at the facilities of the presidency of the Government.
«The headquarters of the Ministry of Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts of San Bernardo 45 is located In the center of the Madrid capital and access is on foot Street, a few meters from one of the most busy subway stops in Madrid, the novitiate, ”said the head of escorts in a document attached to the letter referred to Bolaños to the Court, to which he had access Europa Press.
He also stressed that «given the time set for the statement and that it is a working day In the middle of Holy Week with a predictable influx of tourists In the city center, the result would be a considerable flow of people that could affect the good development of diligence ».
Bolaños also told the judge that he had «right to declare in writing»For being called to declare as a member of the Executive, as established by the Criminal Procedure Law (LECrim).
The instructor, however, He rejected his requestclaiming that he did not quote him for his current position as a member of the Government, but for his previous position, that of Secretary General of Presidency“This is not the one that allows the application of the precept.”
It should be remembered that in this case, although by another of the lines of research, The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, On July 30. Although the chief of the Executive also requested to declare in writing, the instructor opted for the face -to -face appearance and went to the Moncloa. Sanchez covered himself in a legal article, which establishes that as a spouse of Gomez He was “dispensed with the obligation to declare.”
For the Bolaños statement, the judge communicated that He had no “inconvenience” to move to the headquarters of the presidency“As long as” a vehicle of the Ministerial Mobile Park is provided to make the corresponding transfer. ” Thus, he reproached that the time he came to interrogate Sánchez, “a period of time sensibly higher than necessary to allow access.”
The minister responded to the judge to send an official car to pick him up and transfer him from the Courts of Plaza de Castilla to La Moncloa to facilitate access and exit to him and the rest of the Judicial Commission. Hairstyle warned Bolaños that I would go with a recording team Composed of three laptops, seven microphones and two speakers, among other equipment.
