Alfonso Guevara, president of the National Court tribunal currently prosecuting former councilor Francisco Granados for the rigging of contracts (between 2004 and 2013) for the celebration of festivities in several municipalities of the Community of Madrid governed by the Popular Party, concluded Tuesday’s session with the following comment: “Until May 18, after San Isidro. I hope everyone has taken communion and that all the San Isidro festivities are paid for by the PP. End,” he joked at the end of the day. His words drew some laughter from those present.
Since January 19, the National Court has been hosting the first major trial against Francisco Granados, former councilor for Esperanza Aguirre and former secretary general of the PP of Madrid. This hearing responds to one of the lines of investigation of the macro-summary of the Púnica case and focuses on the rigging of public contracts in favor of businessman José Luis Huerta from public administrations governed by the Popular Party. Huerta, who headed the company Waiter Music, allegedly showered public officials with gifts and covered the expenses of their parties and the conservative party, in exchange for PP-controlled city councils awarding him the organization of their festivities.
In addition to Granados, among others, David Erguido, former senator and former regional deputy for the PP; and half a dozen former mayors of the party are in the dock: José Carlos Boza and José Miguel Moreno, former mayors of Valdemoro; Esteban Parro and Daniel Ortiz, from Móstoles; María Ángeles Herrera, from Ciempozuelos; and Carlos Alberto Estrada, from Moraleja de Enmedio.
After three months of sessions, the trial is facing its final stages. This Monday and Tuesday, the tribunal listened for hours to the statements José Luis Huerta made during the investigation phase, which were recorded. The businessman, who passed away five years ago, confessed to the rigging and pointed fingers at the PP.
At the end of Tuesday’s session, as a farewell, Guevara joked to announce that the trial would not resume until May 18. The experienced magistrate, well-known in the National Court for his tough demeanor in the courtroom, has made other notable comments during this oral hearing. On January 21, he snapped at the prosecutor: “No one talks back to me, that’s why I’m here. Neither the prosecutor nor the King.” A few days later, he sarcastically stated: “I have two and a half years left until retirement, my question is whether we will finish the trial before then.”
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