The president of the Community of Madrid acknowledges in an interview that the order to acquire the property for €6.3 million came from her team and that she "didn't mind". The spokesperson councillor still hasn't clarified who gave the specific instruction.
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has admitted that the order to buy the Chamberí penthouse came from her team. She did so this Thursday in an interview on Cuatro, as published by elDiario.es, where she responded to the question that has been hovering over the case for months: who gave the instruction. "Well, it was from my team. My team saw that... Look, from my team and I didn't mind. We all saw it here," she declared.
The purchase of the property, located in the Chamberí district, was made by the public company Planifica Madrid, attached to the Ministry of the Presidency, for €6.3 million. The operation was closed in April, although it had been brewing months earlier.
The changing versions from the regional government have been progressive. In the summer, Ayuso stated that Planifica Madrid buys and sells properties "throughout the year" and that she had "no idea" about the operation because it was not her responsibility. By September, the spokesperson councillor and president of Planifica, Miguel Ángel García Martín, stated in a press conference that "logically, when a property is purchased, it is obvious that it is visited". Shortly after, the president's environment confirmed that she had visited the penthouse after the purchase.
I no longer know how many explanations I am going to give. What I do know, and I swear, and I can demonstrate in a thousand ways, is that I do not want a home nor do I want an official residence to live in.
Last week, in an appearance before the media, the president justified her visit to the property: "If they buy it and I am looking for a place to move my offices, my office, well, to see it." She also downplayed the matter: "What do I care, that is not my management."
In the Assembly of Vallecas, García Martín explained that it was Planifica Madrid who, "within the framework of its competencies" and "at the request of the Ministry of the Presidency", acquired the property "after a process of searching and identifying possible alternatives and with the aim of making it available to the Community of Madrid". However, that request does not appear in the published documents, nor does the justification or the criteria that motivated the purchase.
After the last Council of Government, this Wednesday, the press again asked the councillor about the motivation for the operation and about the role of the CEO of Planifica Madrid, Pedro Corbalán. It was also questioned why he has not appeared if the operation is carried out on "Corbalán's account and risk". García Martín responded: "I explained that this property is acquired within the framework of the competencies of Planifica Madrid." He did not clarify whether it was Corbalán or someone else who gave the order.
The documents provided indicate that the penthouse was purchased to "house the authorities of the Community itself". The Supreme Prosecutor's Office has shelved complaints against three individuals against Ayuso, but those filed by Iustitia Europa, the PSOE, and Más Madrid in the courts, as well as the complaint from Más Madrid in the Court of Auditors, are still ongoing.
The Community of Madrid maintains its intention to sell the property as soon as possible, although questions about who ordered the purchase and why remain unanswered.
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