Zarrías uses Aldama to deny delivery of cash at Ferraz in the Leire Díez case
The former Andalusian vice-president Zarrías backs Aldama's version to refute claims that 90,000 euros in cash were taken to the PSOE headquarters. The paradox: the PSOE repeatedly called Aldama a "liar".
Zarrías gives credibility to Aldama to refute the alleged cash payment to Ferraz
The former vice-president of the Junta de Andalucía Gaspar Zarrías, charged in the so-called 'Leire Díez case', has chosen to rely on the words of Víctor de Aldama to deny that cash was handed over at the Socialist party's Ferraz headquarters. According to ABC, Zarrías submitted a written submission to Judge Santiago Pedraz last Tuesday, who is investigating an alleged scheme to obstruct judicial proceedings related to the Government and the PSOE.
In that document, the defence of the Andalusian leader assumes as valid the version of the alleged middleman, known as the "fixer" in the 'Koldo case', to contradict the testimony of businesswoman Carmen Pano. She declared in June before the judge that she transferred 90,000 euros in cash to the party's central headquarters on the express order of Aldama himself.
The paradox of the argumentative turn
Zarrías's strategy contains a notable contradiction. The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Socialist leadership have repeatedly discredited Aldama, calling him a "liar". From the Executive, expressions were made such as "quite an invention" or that "the defence strategy of this character is a lie". Now, the Andalusian politician relies on his statements to discredit Pano.
The key piece of Zarrías's argument is the statement Aldama gave in court on 29 January. When the prosecutor asked him whether he had handed Pano two bags with 45,000 euros each in his office on Antonio Maura street to take them to Ferraz, Aldama replied: "No, it is ridiculous (...) it is absolutely false".
The written submission backs the lawyer for Koldo García
The text presented by Zarrías's defence also supports the appeal resource of Leticia de la Hoz, lawyer for former ministerial adviser Koldo García. Pano had accused this solicitor of visiting her on behalf of someone from the PSOE to offer her around 250,000 euros in exchange for modifying her testimony. The purpose of that alleged bribery was, according to Pano, to "cover the arse" of former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and Koldo, both sentenced by the Supreme Court in the 'mask case'.
Based on Aldama's statement, Zarrías asks the judge to question the middleman about that cash money and requests the admission of a series of evidence to prove that the Socialist organisation "is completely unrelated to the offering of a bribe" and that there is "not a shred of evidence" against the party.
Offensive against Pano and the Anti-Corruption Prosecution
The former Andalusian vice-president devotes a large part of his written submission to discrediting the businesswoman. He recalls that Carmen Pano is charged before the Central Court of Investigation number 5 and that, "for that reason, both the statement she made in that court and the one she made before the Supreme Court, she made in her capacity as an accused party, with the right not to tell the truth". On that basis, Zarrías stresses that "there are forceful indications that she is lying" and adds that "there is not a single shred of evidence that Pano is telling the truth in what she claims".
The offensive also extends to the Anti-Corruption Prosecution, which he accuses of incurring "manipulation of factual premises" by assuming from the outset "that what Pano declared is true". The defendant requests "useful and relevant" measures to prove that the Public Prosecution's thesis "is neither correct nor stands up in any way whatsoever".
Zarrías denies knowing Leire Díez and Pano
In the final part of the written submission, the former vice-president insists that he does not know "anything" about former Socialist councillor Leire Díez, identified as the alleged coordinator of the scheme, nor about businesswoman Carmen Pano. In harsh terms, he denounces that in the court "an artificial case is being constructed, articulated around a spectral and non-existent criminal organisation".
Source: ABC