The robbery that occurred last Sunday in Jameos del Agua, in which thieves took more than 70,000 euros, has not been the only one that has occurred in the Tourist Centers in recent months. This is what the Works Council denounces, which refers to at least two other similar events, although with much smaller amounts, in the last year. La Voz de Lanzarote has been able to confirm that the Civil Guard is investigating at least one of those robberies, which occurred last November at the Farmer's Monument.
The Works Council lists various shortcomings in security matters in the Centers and states that the way money is kept is "prehistoric". They consider that robberies like the one in Jameos prove the "irresponsibility" of the management. Antonio Bonilla, representative of that Works Council, even considers that it should be grounds for "resignation" of the Tourism Councilor, Echedey Eugenio.
The robbery at the Farmer's Monument that the Benemérita is investigating occurred in the early hours of November 26 to 27. The thieves managed to take, as confirmed to La Voz by the police force itself, 4,000 euros after "forcing two safes". Upon realizing what had happened, according to Bonilla, it was the economic and financial director of the Tourist Centers, Francisco Ortega, who went to the Civil Guard's offices in San Bartolomé to report it.
Despite this, the Tourism Councilor had stated this Wednesday on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero that there had not been a robbery at that Center in November, but rather a "personnel altercation", which "has nothing to do" with a "blowing up of the safe". These statements have angered the workers, who have come out to deny it.
"There have been several", Bonilla replies, who declares himself "surprised" that the councilor "doesn't find out" about these events. Thus, he alludes to another robbery also at the Farmer's Monument, which occurred "less than a year ago", when "a sack" with about 3,000 euros disappeared, which had been "left under the bar". Bonilla, who admits that Eugenio was not in charge of the area at that time, recalls that he did already hold the position in November. Furthermore, he regrets that the employees were assured that the person responsible was one of their colleagues, whom the company fired. "Nothing could be further from the truth", says this member of the works council, who emphasizes that the police investigation continued after the dismissal, without being clarified.
Safes with keys known by "everyone" and without cameras
This representative of the Works Council of the Tourist Centers emphasizes the shortcomings and believes that "there are too many high salaries and a lack of security measures". Thus, he lists facts such as that "there have never been cameras" in any of the centers. According to him, only in the safe of the CACT headquarters on Triana Street in Arrecife are there two cameras. "What does it cost them to put up cameras, even if they are just for deterrence?", he asks.
In the case of Jameos del Agua, he assures that the key is kept "behind the door", behind a decorative helm that is there. He also explains that, despite the fact that the safe has a key and also a security code, that code has not been used for some time "for convenience". Something that, in his opinion, "cannot be", especially when it is known that the armored van that has to take the money "is not going to pass in days". Among these security flaws, he alludes, for example, to the fact that in the Cueva de Los Verdes "everyone knows the combination of the safe", even "retired workers" or those who have been "in other departments" for some time.
Thus, this member of the Works Council emphasizes that money "is kept in a prehistoric way" in the Centers. "It is a total irresponsibility", he laments, stressing that "there is no protocol for anything" in terms of security. "The Centers, most of them, are located in remote areas and with the money that is moved, security is not scarce or minimal, it is that it is non-existent, there is none", he reproaches.
"Resignation" of the councilor for being a "liar"
Antonio Bonilla is especially harsh with the Tourism Councilor of the Cabildo, Echedey Eugenio, and has even asked for his "resignation, for being imprudent and a liar", as he holds him responsible for the absence of security measures and especially reproaches him for having stated that there had been no more robberies. "We are surprised that the councilor does not find out. Are these robberies not reported?", this member of the Works Council asks rhetorically. "How is he going to deny it? There is an invoice for the safe that we assume he would sign, there has to be a security report from the guard in which he put what happened", he adds.
This representative of the CACT workers believes that with that denial the councilor makes the workers out to be "liars". He also accuses him of having "put the focus on the workers" in the first moments when the robbery in Jameos del Agua came to light. According to him, during a meeting with the employees, Eugenio was "concerned" that the Civil Guard "would find out that the key is left behind the door". "Are they not interested in it being kept safe?"
"In the time he has been a councilor, two significant amounts of money have been stolen (the nearly 80,000 euros in Jameos and 4,000 euros in the Farmer's Monument) and he has not found out about one". "We hope from this that action is taken on the matter and responsibilities are determined and whoever has to be dismissed or sanctioned is dismissed or sanctioned, and if the councilor has to resign for being a liar and for being inept, let him resign. We are going to ask for his resignation because it is a lack of responsibility and shame". In his opinion, "they are laughing at all the conejeros", as he emphasizes that the thousands of euros stolen "are public money".
