The former CEO of Air Europa, Javier Hidalgo, declared this Tuesday before the Supreme Court that he never handed over 500,000 euros to the former Minister of Transport José Luis Ábalos or to the former advisor Koldo García in exchange for the "loan" granted by the Government to the airline during the pandemic, and he also denied that Begoña Gómez, wife of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, had any involvement.
As a witness in the trial against Ábalos, Koldo, and the businessman Víctor de Aldama, Hidalgo responded with a double "no" when asked if he offered any type of compensation for said loan and if Gómez played any role in its approval.
The former executive has stated that Aldama acted as a "communication channel" with several ministries in the dealings related to that "loan". He has admitted that it was he who decided to incorporate him and that he joined a "very large" team that worked to achieve public financing.
Hidalgo has specified that he first hired the businessman to try to recover a debt in Venezuela and, subsequently, for advisory work, for which he paid him 10,000 euros per month for almost two years.
"I participated in the institutional part and all I did was be a communication channel with the different ministries, not only with the Ministry of Transport," he detailed, describing his role.
The former CEO stated that Aldama "was also a person with a lot of initiative" and that his responsibilities were "very broad." "He seemed like a quite intelligent person, he had an entrepreneurial profile in addition to being our advisor," he remarked.
Hidalgo has also acknowledged that he met with Ábalos during his time as Minister of Transport because "it was the part that depended on it." However, he has pointed out that "in reality, the Ministry of Economy was the one that intervened the most in the loan part" and has denied having paid for a vacation or vacation accommodation for the then minister.
Regarding Koldo García, he stated that he believes he met him on his first visit to Ábalos's office and that his role was limited to receiving and seeing him off when he went to the Ministry, without further participation in the negotiations.
Importance of the loan and criticism of the conditions
Hidalgo has stressed that the "loan" had "a great deal of importance" for the survival of Air Europa, since at the beginning of the health crisis Globalia, the parent group, "only received 140 million euros".
"And the pandemic spread, when many competitors, already 20 days into the pandemic, had received 1 billion," he compared, to emphasize that, with 18,000 employees and a turnover of 5 billion, "the cash drain was very significant" for Globalia during the coronavirus crisis.
The former CEO has railed against the rescue conditions, stating that the "loan" "was all imposed by SEPI with truly insidious conditions". "I am unaware of any loan that has been given in Spain where the CEO is dismissed, in this case, me," he emphasized.
"No loan has been given under those conditions. And furthermore, strangling the company Globalia, we had to sell two hotels. And on top of that, practically intervening in the company," he reiterated, describing the impact of the agreement on the tourism group.
Hidalgo added that he is not aware that the Ministry of Transport disseminated a press release specifically about the "loan" and that it was "never requested" that a public communication be issued in this regard.
He explained that "the only thing Air Europa was asking for" was "an official document from SEPI", dated September 9, 2020, "in Spanish and English" to be able to "show the creditors, who were mostly foreigners", and thus accredit that the process was "underway".
"I believe it is the loan with the worst conditions that has been given," he sentenced, before highlighting that the company returned it with "millions in interest."
Silence of a Civil Guard commander under investigation
In the same hearing, Rubén Villalba, commander of the Civil Guard investigated by the National Court in the 'Koldo case', has exercised his right not to answer the parties due to his status as a defendant in that case, limiting himself to pointing out that throughout his professional career he has been involved in the fight against terrorism.