The independent judicial expert Pedro Martín Molina, author of the key 2021 report on the airline Plus Ultra, reaffirmed this Thursday in the Senate that the company "did not meet the requirements" to receive the public bailout of 53 million euros approved during the pandemic.
In his appearance before the commission investigating SEPI's management, the expert insisted that the company was in an insolvent situation and did not meet the conditions required by either the Government or European regulations to access the Strategic Companies Support Fund.
The airline's accounts "were doctored"
One of the most forceful points of his intervention was the assertion that the company's accounts were altered.
The expert pointed out that the financial statements "were doctored", through changes in accounting criteria that, he argued, would not be admissible according to the general accounting plan.
Furthermore, he indicated that movements of funds towards a company unrelated to air activity and located in a tax haven were detected, although he clarified that the complete tracking of the money was not part of his assignment.
Doubts about the viability of the bailout
Martín Molina also questioned the viability of the airline's payment plan, describing the company's capacity to repay the granted loan as "unviable".
According to his analysis, the bailout could only be justified if there were reasons not strictly economic, a statement that adds pressure to the political and judicial debate about the operation.
A procedure under scrutiny
During his appearance, the expert expressed his surprise at the development of the judicial procedure that allowed part of the bailout to be unblocked.
He recalled that, while the investigating judge was on vacation, the substitute magistrate authorized the release of the remaining 34 million euros, which had been initially frozen as a precautionary measure.
The payment was finally made on July 30, 2021, which has generated controversy surrounding the processing of the file.