Victor Julián Cáceres, the resident of Femés who has caused a political storm on the Island after stating on Radio Lanzarote that he was aware that in recent years money had been charged from different public works carried out throughout the island's geography, ratified this Tuesday his statements before the Prosecutor's Office of the Permanent Assignment in Arrecife of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC).
In his brief appearance before the head of the judicial department, Miguel Pallarés Rodríguez, the citizen, according to what he explained to this newspaper, insisted on what was stated in the program Buenos Días de Radio Lanzarote, clarifying first that when he referred to the fact that the president of the Cabildo, Inés Rojas, should not trust her technicians, he did so on a purely professional level, since his specific accusation about the collection of a fixed commission of 5 percent did not refer directly to them.
Regarding the evidence provided, Victor Julián Cáceres spoke to the prosecutor about a case that happened to him ten or twelve years ago in Yaiza, where he resides, stating that it is not an isolated case since in the construction sector it is "general opinion" that the payment of commissions "probably higher than 5 percent" is taking place to the companies that get the awards for the works.
Despite his clarity and forcefulness, he did not present any type of documentary evidence, although finally he insisted that some technicians - he did not specify which ones and did not refer to those of the Cabildo - continue to charge the amount of 5 percent for the development of the works.
Impact of the statements
But the statements of the resident of Femés have not only led to the Prosecutor's Office opening an investigation. They have also caused a notable political squabble. As this newspaper explained in its edition yesterday, this situation has led to a confrontation between two politicians, the Councilor for Public Works of the Cabildo, Sergio Machín, and the spokesperson for Alternativa Ciudadana (AC-25M) in the First Island Corporation, Pedro Hernández, which almost certainly will end up in the courts of justice.
After the complaint of Victor Julián Cáceres, who did not name anyone in his radio statements although he did speak with sufficient forcefulness, the spokesperson for Alternativa took the opportunity to bring up the controversial issue in the last plenary session held in the Cabildo, demanding that the Councilor for Public Works give the appropriate explanations, which generated the wrath of the latter for not understanding why the politician involved him in a corruption issue when the resident of Femés had not even named him.
