Marc Pons, the former chief of staff to the former Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, has admitted to the National Court that he met four or five times with former ministerial advisor Koldo García, although not to discuss issues related to the alleged hydrocarbon scheme.

The judge of the National Court investigating the hydrocarbons case has summoned Marc Pons, from Menorca, and Juan Ignacio Díaz Bidart, former chiefs of staff to ex-ministers Teresa Ribera and Reyes Maroto, respectively, to testify as witnesses on January 28. This is stated in a court order, to which Europa Press had access, from Judge Santiago Pedraz. The judge has also summoned businessman Claudio Rivas, whom investigators consider the alleged leader of the hydrocarbons network linked to the company Villafuel, to appear on the same day as a suspect. Furthermore, the judge summoned businessman Víctor de Aldama again as a defendant on January 29. On January 30, the businesswomen Carmen Pano, who claims to have delivered 90,000 euros at the PSOE headquarters on Ferraz Street, and her daughter, Leonor González, will testify. Judge Pedraz has summoned the Director General of Energy Policy and Mines, Manuel García, and Manuel Salles, a company administrator, to testify as witnesses on the 29th. On the 30th, it will be Álvaro Gallego's turn; he may be linked to €108,500 withdrawn in cash, according to investigators.

Koldo García, former advisor to Minister José Luis Ábalos, has pointed to the involvement of the former president of the Balearic Islands and current Speaker of the Congress, Francina Armengol, in several contracts currently under investigation by the National Court. He makes this claim in a document that, as detailed by Europa Press, requests that these cases—related to PCR and COVID tests—be transferred to the Supreme Court. In his petition to the Supreme Court, requesting the revocation of his imprisonment, García argues that the investigations being conducted by the National Court also identify "high-ranking political figures with evidentiary links to the events" who enjoy parliamentary immunity, such as Armeng Megalab Eurofins, thanks to Koldo's influence. Furthermore, he has also asked the Supreme Court to revoke his provisional detention and release him, offering to pay bail to secure his release. He also states that his increase in assets is "justified" by his income. In addition, he requests the annulment of the prosecution for alleged irregularities in the Ministry of Transport's mask contracts during the pandemic, due to the Supreme Court's "failure to establish jurisdiction beforehand." Furthermore, because the accusations (Anti-Corruption) are exaggerated, with "requests for exorbitant prison sentences, which are the justification used in the appeal to argue that pretrial detention is warranted based on a non-existent flight risk."

The Speaker of Congress and former Prime Minister of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, insisted this Tuesday in the Senate that she did not know the alleged facilitator of the Koldo plot, Víctor de Aldama, and that the meeting took place in his capacity as advisor to the former president of Air Europa, Pepe Hidalgo, in the context of the pandemic. Armengol also denied having exchanged messages with him. "I have neither lied nor withheld information," Armengol repeatedly stated in her second appearance—13 months after the first—before the Senate's commission of inquiry into all the ramifications of the Koldo case, after Vox spokesperson Ángel Pelayo accused her of lying during the initial questioning. Armengol assured the Vox senator that she will not be found involved in "any corruption scandal": "I am extremely calm." In this context, the Speaker of Congress began her speech by explaining that in her previous appearances before the various investigative committees, she had shared "everything she remembered" and "everything she knew."

PSOE Secretary General Pedro Sánchez has put the ball rolling on the Operation Renewal he's preparing for the PSOE. In fact, the maneuver has a dual objective: first, to erase all traces of Cerdán in the PSOE by eliminating his closest collaborators, similar to Stalin's actions with Trotsky; and second, to incorporate new figures who will serve to relaunch a party still in a state of shock. And here, true to form, he has surprised everyone with the appointment of Valencian Rebeca Torró Soler as the party's new Secretary of Organization.