“That they sign up and have their moment of glory in this media circus is a mistake.” This is how former ministerial advisor Koldo García spoke before warning that he would not answer the questions asked by the commission of inquiry into public adjudications of the Government of Navarra in the regional Parliament. From the Soto del Real prison, where he has been in preventive detention since November ahead of the trial for case maskshas assured that he will demonstrate in court that “everything they are saying (about him) is atrocities”, that “the truth” will become known over time and that he will “accept” his “acts” if he has to “accept” them.
The Parliament of Navarra has summoned him for the other branch of investigation of the Koldo casewhich investigates his alleged involvement in the scheme to collect commissions in exchange for public works awards in which the former minister José Luis Ábalos and the former secretary of Organization of the PSOE Santos Cerdán would also be involved. The Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, in one of the reports it has submitted to the Supreme Court, maintains that it acted as an intermediary to rig public contracts.
At 12:06, the signal from Soto de Real revealed García alone, in a corner, sitting with his arms crossed. When he found out that each of the seven parliamentary groups of the Autonomous Chamber has a one-hour speaking turn to ask him questions, the former advisor complained: “That has not been communicated to me.”
Before the regional deputies took the floor, García wanted to address Parliament. “I think some of you already know me or have already spoken enough about me, but you confuse the fact that the lack of qualifications is a lack of knowledge. (…) That is a mistake. That does not mean that I am an idiot,” he stated.
Without folding his arms, the former ministerial advisor has assured that he never thought that, after warning that they were following him and offering to collaborate, they were going to arrest him, investigate him, and send him to provisional prison. “The damage has already been done. I made a miscalculation because I didn’t think they were going to do the damage they have done to my entire close circle,” he noted.
They confuse the fact that the lack of qualifications is a lack of knowledge. (…) That is a mistake. That doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.”
Koldo García, in the investigation commission of the Parliament of Navarra
García has complained that “no one is going to be able to erase” what has been said about him. “To say all the lies they have told about me is that they do not know me nor do they want to know me nor do they want to know my story, which does not worry me at all,” he stressed. However, he has said that he is concerned that “tomorrow all the falsehoods cannot be erased.” And he launched: “They are so eager for their minute of glory, that they are getting the timing wrong. This has just begun. There is a lot left.”
Along these lines, he has assured that he will prove his innocence in court. “I have to prove judicially that everything they are saying is atrocities. I am going to demonstrate the truth in court.” Thus, he has stressed that over time “more things” will be revealed and that, right now, they can no longer do anything against him: “I am already in jail without proving that I have committed any crime.” At this point, he insisted that he has “a lot of time” and will be able to “prove things.” “I assure you that I have patience and peace of mind.”
García ended his speech by again accusing the Parliament of Navarra of wanting to squeeze out his moment of “glory”. “Now with all due respect, I take advantage of my right not to testify. (…) Now they can elaborate in their minute to make all Spaniards understand what they want to say. Tomorrow I will clarify things for the Spaniards,” he concluded.
Riffle with Esparza (UPN)
The first to question him in the commission was the UPN deputy Javier Esparza, who began by answering: “I think he is not an idiot.” Despite the former advisor’s silence, he has posed his questions one by one: “When did he meet Cerdán”, “who introduced him to him”, “when did he meet Antxón Alonso (in reference to one of the businessmen investigated for his alleged participation in the plot)”… “There are innocuous questions. I think they would not cause any problems”, he added. Little by little the tone has been raised, until asking him about specific works and the intercepted messages that the Civil Guard has included in its reports.
García interrupted him after half an hour of the first questions to clarify: “You cannot doubt that I have defended the interests of Spain. You don’t believe it. And you know it.” Esparza has maintained his position, which has led the former advisor to raise his tone.
— A minimum of respect in some things. I have only told you one thing: you don’t believe that I have not defended the interests of Spain,” García said.
“I do believe it,” Esparza replied.
Before finishing his speech, the UPN deputy criticized García for talking about “respecting the times” of Justice and for having been giving interviews before entering prison.
When it was the turn of the spokesperson for the socialists in Navarra, Javier Lecumberri, Koldo took out a notebook. The leader asked him about the Temporary Business Union (UTE) between Acciona and Servinabar and the contracts they obtained, flagged by the Civil Guard for alleged irregularities.
—What functions did you perform at Servinabar? Did they coincide with any political responsibility? —Lecumberri asked.
“No,” García answered.
The rest of the interrogation has continued without the intervention of the former advisor. He has not commented on the works on the Belate tunnel or on those related to Mina Muga. It didn’t matter who asked him, neither Esparza, nor Lecumberri nor the EH Bildu deputy Adolfo Araiz. “I understand that you have the right to remain silent,” said the socialist, who, when closing his speaking turn, stated that he did not want to prolong “a situation that does not make much sense.” “I wish you justice, with all the consequences, whatever they may be,” he added.
This Wednesday’s appearance took place after Ábalos’ former advisor informed the regional Parliament that he had no intention of testifying and requested to be able to do so by videoconference. The parliamentary groups insisted that he attend the commission in person, but finally Penitentiary Institutions notified the regional Chamber that it advised against the transfer for medical reasons. Esparza has accused García of “getting away with murder.”
The summons remained in suspense until the last moment. It was on Tuesday, late in the afternoon, when the appearance was scheduled. Although the session was scheduled for 10:00, in the end it was delayed two hours because Penitentiary Institutions reported that they had technical problems in carrying out the videoconference. Although it is the first time that the former advisor appears in the Parliament of Navarra, he already testified in April 2024 in the Senate investigation commission for the purchase of masks in Transport during the first stage of the pandemic. “I have worked all my life and I have done the right thing,” he said on that occasion.
