Eduardo Zaplana yesterday denied all the crimes charged by the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office. Before the court that is trying him in Valencia for the Erial case, he denied that he knew how the ITV and wind farm concessions were made when he was Valencian president and for which he allegedly received bribes worth 20 million euros. “I have never known which companies were awarded,” he said. He also denied that he ever had, or that he now has, money outside of Spain, “and I maintain it”. He also did not recognize that he has participated in the societies of the frontmen and his friends, such as Francisco Grau, Joaquín Barceló and Fernando Belhot: “I do not know these societies and have no relationship with them”. And he even affirmed that the facts imputed to him “he knows from the summary”. He said, on the contrary, that his situation “is very unfortunate”.

This was the first time that the former minister and former president sat as a defendant in a trial in which, among others, former president José Luis Olivas is also accused. He is facing a 19-year sentence for the crimes of criminal organization, money laundering, bribery, fraud and forgery. During the investigation, Zaplana refused to testify and yesterday was the first time that he was able to present his version of some facts that indicate that he resorted to instrumental companies to divert the bites abroad, to tax havens. This money would have returned to Spain through real estate transactions with these same companies managed by his friends.

Before the questioning, his lawyer asked that the four defendants declare that they have reached agreements of conformity with the Prosecutor’s Office to avoid prison, a fact that can make it difficult to defend Zaplana. The four defendants are his former chief of staff at the Generalitat Valenciana and president of the contracting parties for ITV concessions and wind farms, Juan Francisco García; the front man and childhood friend Joaquín Barceló, and the nephews of Juan Cotino, the brothers Vicente and José Cotino. But the judge refused and maintained that the ex-minister was the first to testify at the trial in accordance with the planned schedule.

Much of the questioning by the Prosecutor’s Office was aimed at finding out the former president’s relationship with the other defendants, especially with Grau, Barceló and Fernando Belhot, the Uruguayan lawyer who allegedly operated to bring the money of the commissions obtained in the concessions of the Generalitat Valenciana. Zaplana never denied his friendship with them, in some cases, such as that of Grau or Barceló, maintained throughout his life. And he acknowledged that he had made “thousands” of arrangements to put his friends in contact with political and economic actors, “but without seeking any personal benefit”. However, he denied that he participated in, was involved in, or used the companies these friends managed. “Friendship is one thing; am I his friend?, yes; do I have a relationship with their businesses or companies?, no”, he affirmed. Faced with the prosecutor’s insistence, he went so far as to say: “We’ve been here for two hours and we’ve only talked about Barceló and Belhot. We are not talking about my current accounts, nor my investments, nor my companies because there is nothing”. He even categorically denied any relationship with the documents that were intercepted in his office, in which the names of some of these companies appear. “Neither have I seen them nor is it possible that they have ever been in my hands”. The deposition lasted three and a half hours, after which the defense barely asked any questions. Barcelona will declare today.

Before the trial, when Zaplana arrived in the City of Justice, a curious anecdote took place. When he tried to enter, a woman confronted him and scolded him for not standing in line. “I’ve been here since half past ten, get in line,” he told him.