"I have been listening to nonsense about my management as mayor for three years. I want to deny the false accusations of the PP and the mayor, Pancho Hernández, who lies more than he speaks". This is how the former mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz Saavedra, began his press conference, after the PP accused him this Wednesday of executing the works on Avenida de las Playas in Puerto del Carmen "without legal coverage", causing the City Council to return 6 million euros of the FOMIT credit, plus 1.5 million in interest, which were not planned.
Cruz Saavedra has defended the legality of these works and has accused the current government group of justifying them "erroneously" and of "negligence" by not responding to the requirements of the Ministry of Industry. "They have done nothing but lie, when they have been overwhelmed by the consequences of their negligence," insisted the former mayor of Tías, who assured that "since June 3 they have known that the credit has been canceled early and they have hidden it from the rest of the groups".
The socialist has highlighted the "consequences of the negligence of the government group, which has already cost the City Council 1.6 million euros", by increasing the interest rate from 0.5 to 4.20, and "it remains to be seen if it costs another million". In total, the former mayor calculates that the City Council could have to pay almost 2.7 million euros in interest.
"Financial collapse situation"
"This blow to the municipal coffers, this robbery of the pockets of the population of Tías is only the first chapter. Having to return the 6 million euros in advance means placing the City Council in a situation of financial collapse", he warned.
It was on November 15, 2011, with Pancho Hernández at the head of the Mayor's Office of Tías, when the Ministry of Industry addressed the Government of the Canary Islands so that it would demand from the beneficiaries of the FOMIT credits the justification of the investments made. "In the letter, it is pointed out that the deadline that the City Council had to execute and justify the works expired on April 17, 2012, so when Pancho Hernández accessed the Mayor's Office no deadline had expired", he defended.
According to Cruz Saavedra, the PP presented the justification, but it was rejected by the Ministry, since the technician who directed the works issued a report in which he said that they had not adjusted "faithfully" to what was specified in the document, in the Valued Report. "This paragraph of the report has served the mayor to cling to a burning nail and start with his lies", he assessed.
"It does not mean that they lack legal coverage"
And it is that, according to his version, in this case we are talking about a Valued Report and "not the project". "If the works do not conform to the Valued Report because changes occur while they are being executed, it does not mean that they lack legal coverage. It is the Ministry itself that tells the mayor to redo the Valued Report", he assured. "What was executed are projects, which were adjusted to the specifications, the stakeout minutes were made, the certifications were signed and the works were paid for", he defended.
Cruz Saavedra has insisted that Pancho Hernández "did not answer these requirements" and the "most serious" thing is that he did not do so either to the letter from the Deputy Director General of Development and Sustainability, of April 2013, which communicated to him "the beginning of the revocation and reimbursement file" of the credit. "On November 26, 2013, an extra opportunity was given in order to avoid the reimbursement of the credit, but he did not answer either", he criticized.
"In summary", the former mayor pointed out, Hernández "erroneously justified the investments made with the FOMIT credit and the Ministry addressed the City Council up to three times and obtained silence in response". The former mayor does not understand why the justification of the works was not sent to Madrid. "That escapes me, it is the responsibility of the PP mayor", he stressed.
Before finishing his press conference, Cruz Saavedra wanted to make it clear that he feels "proud" of the "legacy" he has left to the municipality of Tías, thus rejecting all the criticisms made by the PP.