The Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities and Secretary General of the PSPV-PSOE, Diana Morant, has publicly questioned "what kind of information" the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, possesses "to be able to anticipate the case" affecting former President of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, a situation before which she assures: "I am in shock".
"I respect the justice system, I respect the presumption of innocence, but --I convey-- my absolute support again for President Zapatero," she stated this Saturday to the media in Dénia (Alicante). This is how she responded when questioned about the decision of the National Court judge José Luis Calama to investigate Zapatero in that proceeding for an alleged crime of influence peddling and other possible related offenses, such as criminal organization.
Morant reiterated that she is "in shock" remembering that "weeks ago Mr. Feijóo was anticipating a case against Zapatero" and once again questioned: "What kind of information does Mr. Feijóo have to be able to anticipate this case?". "I am in shock --she added-- when I see that Feijóo, before the Central Operative Unit (UCO) entered Ferraz, was already announcing that there was going to be police action in Ferraz. I am in shock."
In the same vein, she stressed: "I am in shock when in those same days --José María-- Aznar comes out again with a little smile and tells us Spaniards again that, of course, whoever can do it, should do it."
According to the socialist leader, "there is a very clear recklessness in certain statements that point to a persecution of the Socialist Party."
"What is happening is not normal"
The minister highlighted that, "in the week in which the most serious political corruption case this country has had is being judged, with former Minister of the Interior Jorge Fernández Díaz on the bench," she said, referring to Operation Kitchen, "we are not talking about that, but about other things." "I believe that others have taken care to ensure that we were talking about other things, to divert the public debate, to have us talking about the great-grandmother's jewels," she hinted.
The so-called 'Operation Kitchen' was the alleged espionage organized from the Ministry of the Interior of the Government of Mariano Rajoy to steal documentation from Luis Bárcenas about PP leaders and allegedly hinder the judicial investigation into opaque accounting in the party.
"I respect justice, I respect the presumption of innocence, but --I convey-- my absolute support again for President Zapatero. Of course, this shock that we socialists are experiencing from the heart, we will overcome it because in the end the truth will prevail. And there is also a truth that citizens know, which is that what is happening is not normal," he concluded.