The Lanzarote native Manuel Aarón Fajardo García appeared this Monday morning in the Senate before the investigation commission of the State Industrial Participations Company (SEPI) opened in the Upper Chamber, at the request of the Popular Parliamentary Group, where he denied having influenced or illicitly enriched himself in the Plus Ultra rescue.
"I have never executed or contributed to the execution of influence conduct for the issuance of administrative resolutions, nor have I established offshore companies linked to the collection of fees from companies benefiting from public aid, I have never enjoyed payments, neither personally nor to companies in which I have participated, nor directly nor indirectly from companies benefiting from public aid," denied Fajardo, who read a prepared text after the senators' round of questions.
"I have no knowledge whatsoever, neither direct nor by reference, about the subject of my appearance," defended Fajardo García in an appearance that began at 10:00 AM Canary time. The Lanzarote native stated that he attended the Senate's request "as a Spanish citizen," although he currently resides in Venezuela, but declined to answer the senators' questions.
The businessman stated that he can only provide information on "matters within his knowledge" regarding the investigation of deficiencies and alleged irregularities in SEPI's management. However, he indicated that he has "no knowledge whatsoever, neither direct nor by reference, about the subject" of his appearance. "It is impossible for me to answer," he added.
In the judicial order of the National Court judge José Luis Calama Teixeira, who indicted the former Spanish president between 2004 and 2011 José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE) for the crimes of influence peddling and money laundering, Fajardo García was pointed out as "Zapatero's man in Venezuela." Judge Calama asserts that Zapatero was part of a "coordinated" group with Julio Martínez and Manuel Fajardo.
"I have never held any public office, neither by election nor by appointment, nor have I been a member of any political party. I appear personally to provide information," insisted Fajardo García, who partially read the content of a text at the beginning of his appearance, but did not finish reading it until the end of the appearance because he was interrupted by the president of the table.
"I know my rights. I have the duty to appear, to tell the truth, but I do not have the duty to answer in the way you want me to answer, so I am going to answer in the way I want to answer," maintained Fajardo García.
Given the businessman's refusal to answer the senators' questions, the Popular Party parliamentarian who began to interrogate Fajardo García, reversed a Spanish saying ("he who is silent, conceals") to accuse the Lanzarote businessman for not answering his questions. After several minutes of responses where he only stated "I am not going to answer," Fajardo García defended that he prefers not to answer the questions to preserve his right to "privacy and intimacy."
"I have been told that I have laundered money, many crimes that I have not committed have been imputed to me, and I would like to say that while it is true that I have not answered these questions, my rights have also been violated. Crimes that I have not committed have been imputed to me," Fajardo García reproached the board.
Zapatero denies a commercial relationship with Manuel Aarón Fajardo
During his appearance in court last week, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero assured that he had "never" had a commercial relationship with Manuel Aarón Fajardo. "Mr. Fajardo is the son of a colleague, a friend, a senator," indicated the former Spanish president, referring to the socialist senator for Lanzarote Manuel Fajardo Palarea.
"He is a very brilliant man in economic matters. He worked for a very important American fund and decides that Venezuela is a place with many opportunities," Zapatero indicated in an audio published by the newspaper El Día. "I have a friendship with him, especially with his father, I have never had any commercial relationship with him," stated the former president. For the moment, the Court has not imputed any charges to Fajardo García.
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