The Criminal Hall of the National Hearing has confirmed the File of the Punic case with respect to the former President of the Community of Madrid Cristina Cifuentes, agreed by the judge of the case, Manuel García-Castellón, last April. The decision had been appealed by, among others, the PSOE, which requested the court to order to maintain it as investigated.
The research was related to the awarding of the cafeteria service contract, kitchens and dining room of the Assembly of Madrid in 2009 and 2011 tender processes and with the alleged illegal financing of the PP of the Community of Madrid.
The magistrates of the Fourth Section conclude in their resolution that of all the investigative activity "is extracted, clearly and forcefully, the insufficiency of rational signs of crime in the acts of the three investigated", in reference to Cifuentes, the Lawyer of the Assembly of Madrid Tatiana Recoder and the President of the Cantoblanco Group Arturo Fernandez, also exonerated by the judge.
The Court states that it has not been accredited, "not even indicatively", that the award to Cantoblanco of the Assembly Restaurant "has a direct relationship with donations, for amounts of 100,000 euros and 60,000 euros, which did Arturo Group Cantoblanco entities SL and the Enterprise Confederation of Madrid, respectively, in favor of the Foundation for the Economic and Social Development of the Community of Madrid (Fundescam), controlled by the Popular Party. "
The resort of the PSOE and Adade argued that the award of the cafeteria was "part of the reward for donations." About Cifuentes, he stressed that he was the one who presided over in the contracting organ. Of Fundescam, which was nothing but "a cover" to raise in favor of the PP among entrepreneurs who were benefited by contracts of administrations controlled by the party.
The magistrates respond that the affirmations of the popular accusations are "conjectures or suspected" themselves of an initial research phase, but insufficient to maintain an imputation when the necessary diligences have already been practiced to clarify the facts.
Regarding Cifuentes, the national hearing notes that the result of the proceedings is deducted that "it has not been possible to see that its action has been decisive for the awarding of cafeteria services." Nor, that in such awards, donations carried out by investigated Fernández Álvarez have been relevant to Fundescam.
"Nonnexistence of signs of crime" adds the room, "that we have to extend to behavior consisting of participating in the illegal funding of the Popular Party."
The only thing that the room is aligned with the PSOE is to reject the thesis of cifuentes that the party was not legitimized to exercise the accusation against it. The magistrates indicate that the law allows it, as far as future procedural reforms prevent it, in reference that the new criminal proceeding law envisages that political parties can not exercise popular accusation.
After knowing the decision of the Criminal Chamber, the PP of Madrid has issued a statement: "Today the magistrates of the national audience have considered that there are no clear and forceful evidence against the acts by those who investigated Cristina Cifuentes. It is demonstrated that the accusations made by the left formations are unfair, so we ask for a reflection on their political performance. From the PP of Madrid, we have always trusted that this situation was going to be solved in a favorably manner. And today we are happy For this good news, although now nobody can replace the damage to which it has been submitted. It is good news for Cristina Cifuentes and for the PP of Madrid. "
Date Of Update: 22 September 2021, 10:34
