The Minister of Education and new spokesperson for the Socialist Executive, Pilar Alegría, has defended the two former presidents of the Junta de Andalucía, José Antonio Griñán and Manuel Chaves, on behalf of the party, after the Supreme Court ratified their sentences on Tuesday for their participation in the case of the ERE of that autonomous community.
“We want to show respect for justice as we have always done. We regret the events, which should never have occurred, and there were individuals with reprehensible behavior, but neither Griñán nor Chaves at any time personally benefited from anything, and for this reason it can well be said that the just pay for sinners, “said Alegría in a conference of press.
The PSOE, the minister continued, has expressed its conviction that “nobody benefited from a single euro cent.” In fact, Alegría has highlighted the “integrity” of both former regional presidents, considering that they renounced “any public responsibility” when they were charged, a fact that contrasts, in his opinion, with other politicians who “it is proven that they profited from money of illegitimate origin”, he added without citing anyone in particular.
Alegría, who has recalled that the judicial procedure began eleven years ago, has also defended that the PSOE assumed political responsibilities: “We do not obstruct justice”, he has indicated, while clarifying that they will analyze the issue in depth as soon as the exact terms of the sentence are known.
The Supreme Court ruling has provoked a wave of solidarity from the Socialists, who have insisted that there was no enrichment by the former Andalusian presidents. This has even been recognized by the Government spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez, despite the effort that Moncloa has made to separate the party’s reaction, pronounced by Alegría in impromptu statements in Ferraz before the press conference after the Council of Ministers. “The Government shows respect for all judicial decisions. In this case, we do not know the exact terms of the sentence and the meaning of the dissenting opinions, if any”, Rodríguez began before finishing off: “All the judicial pronouncements conclude that there was no personal enrichment, this is conclusive, it is in all the pronouncements”.
What the Executive is trying to move away from is the possibility of granting a pardon. “We cannot pronounce on hypotheses,” Rodríguez replied: “It is moving forward many screens.” “The pardon process requires many previous procedures to start the application to the Government. We are moving forward many screens. It is not convenient to venture into hypotheses at this time”, replied the Government spokesperson, who has, however, avoided ruling on whether she considers that what Chaves and Griñán committed is corruption given that Pedro Sánchez promised not to grant grace measures to people convicted of such crimes.
Criticism of Feijóo
After knowing the sentence of the case of the ERE, the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has considered that the case demonstrates “the greatest corruption in democratic history”, but has said that he does not intend to use it against the PSOE.
Alegría, for her part, has asked both Feijóo and the PP for “modesty”, since “it is the only party that is convicted of illegal financing and we have not heard a single explanation from Feijóo”, she said. “I reiterate caution because he has made statements at a venue – the one on Génova Street – paid for with illegal money”, stressed the minister.
In the case of Chaves, the judges of the criminal court have confirmed his sentence of nine years of disqualification and in Griñán’s case of six years in prison, which will imply his entry into prison. The defense of the latter has announced that he will appeal to the Constitutional Court and ask to suspend the execution of the sentence.
The ruling has not been approved unanimously but “by a majority” of three to two of the members that have made up the Chamber, reports the Supreme Court. The two magistrates Susana Polo and Ana Ferrer have announced that they will issue a dissenting vote, in which they will state that five appeals should have been upheld, including that of José Antonio Griñán. Juan Ramón Berdugo has presided over the court and they have accompanied him in the ruling imposed by Carmen Lamela and Eduardo de Porres.
It should be remembered that it was in 2019 when the Court of Seville declared it proven that in the 1990s the Andalusian Government and its Ministry of Employment launched a system of public money aid for companies that hired workers close to the age of retirement and also to companies in crisis.
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