The judge of the National Court Ismael Moreno has refused to summon Begoña Gómez as a witness to testify about her possible relationship with Air Europa and one of those investigated in the Koldo case, the businessman Víctor de Aldama.
According to an order to which La Vanguardia has had access and dated today, the magistrate fully accepts the thesis of the Prosecutor's Office and rejects the request of a popular accusation that sought to summon Begoña following the publication of information that linked her. with the company Globalia, on which Air Europa depends.
Precisely this is the debate that has been opened in recent days after a Madrid judge has opened proceedings for a complaint filed by the pseudo-union Clean Hands based on journalistic information, which is now being discarded in order to be summoned as a witness in the Court. National.
"The data offered are mere unverified journalistic information, that from the investigations carried out by the acting Police Unit and the documentation in the case, no data or element appears that reveals the existence of knowledge or intervention of Gómez Fernández with the facts under investigation - irregularities in the awarding of contracts for the supply of masks carried out by Puertos del Estado, ADIF, and the Secretary of State for Security -, without prejudice to what results in the future of the investigation," the resolution states. judicial.
The magistrate investigating the corruption plot linked to the advisor of former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos has already rejected this request and is doing so again by resolving an appeal for reform.
The Liberum association wanted Pedro Sánchez's wife to be summoned, considering that there is sufficient evidence for Begoña Gómez to be summoned as a witness, based on the "proven relationship between the witness and any of those investigated or other people and companies targeted." of the investigations included in these proceedings,” stated the prosecution's appeal.
Thus, various journalistic reports are cited in which it is said that Gómez made arrangements with Globalia to import masks and respirators from China to Spain, holding meetings with Víctor de Aldama and the CEO of Globalia, Javier Hidalgo, saying that such meetings were before and after the pandemic and “coinciding with the Globalia rescue operation with 616 million euros of public funds.”
The order indicates that the prosecution's intention is to take into account a series of information published in digital media.
The judge endorses the prosecutor's argument, which points out that regarding this point "the only thing that exists is mere unverified journalistic information, from which it appears that Gómez may have had a relationship with one of those investigated, Víctor de Aldama, which It is not revealing of anything else either, with speculation that issues relating to the contracts for the award of the supply of masks could have been discussed.
The prosecutor's office adds that the alleged existence of such contacts or meetings "is not, in principle, indicative or revealing that Gómez could have had knowledge of or any relationship with the events that are the subject of these proceedings."
"Therefore, it is not appropriate, at the current time, to grant such a request to receive a statement as a witness from Begoña Gómez," he concludes.
