These days, you may have read headlines in the media such as 'a Judge orders me to be brought to trial for crimes of prevarication' as if all the alarms went off and it was a high criminal. I understand that for an opportunistic opposition, with the sole purpose for this island to politically finish me, it is a juicy headline that they are interested in giving screen time to in order to get political profit, but when you govern you are subjected to endless judicial processes and they are still procedures that must be passed.
When I talk to my family and closest friends, they tell me that they don't understand the issue, that they don't know what it's about and I have the perception that it doesn't matter much. But, in case it is of interest, I would like to take advantage of this medium to explain to you the same thing that I told them, because I have nothing to hide. What's more, I myself sent the judge's order to the media.
You see. A private company illegally provided water supply services to the residents of the Montaña Roja area (Playa Blanca); services such as those currently performed by Canal Gestión. I say illegal, because in Lanzarote no private company can do that without a concession.
If I am clear about anything, it is that I am in the Presidency to make decisions. In this life you have to be serious, firm and forceful; and what I could not do was let that continue to happen, that a private company would supply public water. In fact, if I had not made a decision, I would be neglecting my duties, prevaricating by omission as threatened in the complaint by the Government of the Canary Islands and the Deputy of the Common.
The reason why I am being investigated is because there is doubt in the procedure we carried out. That is, there is doubt if the administrative part is well done. I am never accused of stealing or embezzling; it was an administrative case between a private company and the Island Water Council.
I am not a technician or a lawyer. I am a politician who came to make decisions always with the support, advice and support of those who indicated that it could be done that way, but I understand that as the highest responsible of an institution I have to assume certain responsibilities if the forms and not the end are questioned.
One of my principles when I acceded to the Presidency is that all the citizens of Lanzarote try to be on equal terms and what I could not allow was that the residents of an area of the island had the most expensive water with an illegal billing. And in the end what did my decision mean?
It meant that finally 5,000 residents of Lanzarote have a legal water billing and on equal terms as the rest of the residents of the island and that thanks to the agreement signed with the company that recognized its illicit activity, we received a fee of 400,000 euros per year that have allowed us, among other things, to subsidize agricultural, livestock and fishing water so that it is the cheapest in the Canary Islands.
So, if the decision making was positive and has achieved these two main benefits, why does a judge open an oral trial? Because there is a political party that has appeared in the case (Podemos) and they are given the right to have me explain. There is no private accusation and the Prosecutor's Office requests the file. And nothing happens. I really want to go, explain the issue and close the chapter.
Unfortunately, a few months await me where thousands of detractors will come out to my candidacy but I face it with serenity, tranquility, firmness and conviction, with more desire than ever.
Thank you very much to my formation for the support and to those who have bothered to read these words.
By Pedro San Ginés Gutiérrez
