In 2021, Fernando Albert Aragonwhen he was a senior civil servant at Sepides (a public company belonging to the Sepi group), endorsed the “abnormally low” offer from a company having participated in a public price; a tender which is currently under investigation by the National Court for the alleged payment of illegal commissions to rig it.
Antonio Piña, the judge released last Saturday Leire Diez -the call plumber of the PSOE, which was part of the group that allegedly collected these bribes, listed in a judicial resolution the five alleged frauds it is investigating.
One of them is the contract awarded by the Principado de Asturias SME Business Park, a public entity, to the UTE (temporary union of companies) made up of private companies. Erri Berri And Afésa. The subject of the tender was the dismantling of a waste plant in Avilés.
The offers presented. For Erri Berri, only 2.8 million.
This SEI presented an offer worth 2.8 million euros, deemed “abnormally low” compared to those of other bidders (more than six million). For this reason, he had to document the amount of his offer and several technicians prepared a report on it.
Piña, in his resolution, indicated that the alleged criminal organization to which Leire Díez was part, “moreover, through the president of the procurement table, would have had the opportunity to benefit the Erri Berri company in the process of awarding the aforementioned contract.”
Although he doesn’t mention him by first and last name —the case remains subject to summary secrecy—, the judge refers to Fernando Albert Aragón. He was the chairman of the hiring table, according to documentation seen by this newspaper. Piña also mentions the value of the contract: around 2.8 million euros.
Probably, Erri Berri allegedly paid “a total amount of 400,000 euros” as commissionto carry out the alleged manipulation.
In fact, another of those interviewed also belonged to Leire Díez’s group, Vicente Fernándezformer president, precisely, of the State Company of Industrial Participations (Sepi), of which Sepides is a subsidiary (State Corporation for Industrial Promotion and Business Development).
EL ESPAÑOL had access to the minutes of the meeting of the procurement table, chaired by Aragón, who approved, together with the rest of the members of the body, the offer of Erri Berri and Afesa. Ultimately, this ute won the competition.
Fragment of the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors.
As noted in the minutes, the winning companies “adequately justified” the amount they offered, 2.8 million, “without any inconsistency that could cast doubt on the viability of your offer”.
“Once the presentation is completed, all members of the contracting commission (including the president, Fernando Albert Aragón) share the conclusion contained in the report,” concludes the minutes of October 27, 2021.
The UTE made up of the Lezama-Los Álamos companies, one of those not awarded, appealed this concession. To do this, he invoked “an erroneous assessment of the justification of the successful bidder’s offer”. But his request was rejected by the Central Administrative Tribunal for Contractual Resources.
This newspaper contacted Sepides, who refers to the documentation collected on the Contracts Portal concerning this contract and reiterates its “maximum collaboration” with Justice.
Judge Piña in fact ordered the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard to go to the headquarters of this public company to request information.
Aragon, man of Montero
Fernando Albert Aragón’s CV includes his time at the Junta de Andalucía. In fact, it is linked to Maria Jesus Monterothe former regional Minister of Finance, today Minister of Finance and First Vice-President of the Government. It was she who moved Aragon from Andalusia to Sepides.
Previously, since 2018, this position held the position of Chief Lawyer of the Almería Provincial Legal Service of the Junta de Andalucía.
With Montero in government, he would become secretary general, director of the Legal Council and secretary of the Sepides Council.
Vicente Fernández, former president of Sepi, was also one of Montero’s men. The current minister personally approved her appointment as head of the public company, which she will eventually leave in the fall of 2019, when she begins to be investigated in another legal case (known as Aznalcóllar case).
A year and a half later, in 2021, he is signed by the construction company Servinabar 2000 SLproperty of the third of the people investigated by the National Court, the Navarrese businessman Antxón Alonsofriend and partner of Santos Cerdanformer organizational secretary of the PSOE and of which Leire Díez presented himself as his “right hand“.
Judge Piña, president of the Central Investigation Court number 6 of the National Court, was responsible for opening the trial against Leire, Antxon and Fernández and ordered the search of several entities. Among them, the seat of Sepi and Sepides.
From now on, after sending the file for distribution, Judge Santiago Pedraz, president of the Central Investigating Court number 5, will be in charge of it.
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