Face mask case: Canary Islands Parliament 'Ignores' Torres's investigated contracts

There are two ongoing police investigations currently closing in on the former President of the Canary Islands and current Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Victor Torres, regarding the multimillion-euro mask contracts: the investigation by the UCO of the Civil Guard (National Court), and another investigation by the UDEF of the National Police (European Public Prosecutor's Office).

In addition, the political tension over the Koldo-Ábalos-Cerdán corruption cases that implicate President Pedro Sánchez's government.

Therefore, early elections could be held in October, as recently indicated by the Canary Islands Deputy, Ana Oramas, during her speech at the National Congress of Coalición Canaria (CC). Although CC, for now, keeps its political support for PSOE.

However, the Board of the Investigation Committee on the Management of Health Supplies in the Canary Islands Parliament has unanimously decided in a meeting—on June 5—that "they will not bring some of the judicial cases and those investigated by the police regarding certain contracts approved by former Canary Islands President Torres to this committee." This decision was made unanimously just before current Minister Torres's appearance before this committee on June 23.

This refusal by the Investigation Committee arises from a public interest question posed by El Cierre Digital about the possibility of raising in the Canary Islands Parliament some of the judicialized cases regarding mask contracts approved by Torres. These cases were uncovered by our newspaper since March 2022.

Specifically, the Parliamentary Investigation Committee refuses to question Torres about the Damco cases (€17 million), Tanoja (€3 million), and the intermediaries investigated in Damco. Nor will they bring the Derbah case, regarding another multimillion-euro contract from the Canary Islands Health Service, obtained by Apartahotel La Ponderosa, to house migrants in Covid-19 quarantine under the Arcas de Noé project. This establishment was recently searched by the National Police in an anti-drug operation.

According to the Board of the Canary Islands Investigation Committee, Torres will not have to answer for any of these cases (Damco, Tanoja, and Derbah), since "they have not brought nor will they bring these judicial processes to this body." Nor have they requested documentation for these procedures, they stated.

El Cierre Digital has contacted the representatives and the secretary of this Board of the Investigation Committee to clarify whether, for this unanimous decision, all parliamentary group spokespersons were also included, and, in turn, the motivation for this same decision, but we have not received any response.

In addition, our newspaper has contacted all the spokespersons and the 17 deputies in total who make up this Investigation Committee, without receiving any response to date. Therefore, no deputy has made statements to our newspaper, nor has there been any comment on the decision not to submit the Damco and Derbah cases to investigation.

THE UCO REPORT ON MINISTER TORRES

Regarding the police investigations closing in on Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Victor Torres, it is worth highlighting the work carried out by the UCO of the Civil Guard on the multimillion-euro health supply contracts approved for the investigated company Soluciones de Gestión y Apoyo a Empresas SL, while he was Regional President of the Canary Islands during the pandemic.

The result of this UCO investigation, under the National Court, could be known imminently, according to sources familiar with the Koldo case told El Cierre Digital.

Likewise, they indicate, "the existence of some messages about Torres," regarding some communications in the Koldo case.

This procedure also investigates former Minister José Luis Ábalos, who stated in his appearance before the Investigation Committee in the Canary Islands Parliament that "he did not know about the mask contracts approved by Torres."

UDEF INVESTIGATES TORRES'S CONTRACTS

The second police investigation into the contracts awarded by former Regional President Torres is being carried out by the UDEF of the National Police at the request of the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

These are the RR7 cases (€4 million), Damco and Tanoja (€20 million)—as revealed by El Cierre Digital—and the multimillion-euro commissions received by those investigated in the Damco case.

Meanwhile, the company investigated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, Damco Trading Services SA, received €17 million for supplying health materials to the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS). The sole administrator of Damco, Noel Jammal, is being investigated for alleged bribery and embezzlement. The same applies to the former director of the SCS, Conrado Domínguez, and the former director of Economic Resources of the SCS, Ana María Pérez.

The company Tanoja Services SL—is being investigated along with Damco by the EPPO—received €3 million in contracts from the SCS.

In addition, the EPPO is investigating the €4 million contract for one million 3M masks, obtained by the company RR7 United SL, -

Apartahotel La Ponderosa, beneficiary of €1 million, under a contract from the Canary Islands Health Service to house migrants. The awardees were the company Bares y Restaurantes Sur SL—founded by Derbah and with Yeray Martín Melián as sole administrator—and Viajes al Paraiso Canarias SL, managed by journalist Felix Rojas—and Derbah's trusted associate—which invoiced €464,000 to the SCS for housing migrants between October 2021 and March 2

For all these reasons, Minister Torres will have to appear to give an account on June 23 before the Covid-19 Supplies Investigation Committee in the Canary Islands Parliament.

But the Board of the Investigation Committee, regarding these contracts, has denied an investigation.