Transport states that Ábalos did not charge 500,000 euros in diets but were traveling expenses during the delegation

The Ministry of Transport assured that the former minister José Luis ábalos Did not charge 500,000 euros in “Exempt income and diets exempt from taxes”, as stated by the central operating unit (Uco) of the Civil Guard, but They were travel expenses that made The entire delegation while he is responsible for the department.

This is pronounced in a declaration issued on Wednesday, following the requirement made to the Ministry of the Magistrate of the Supreme Court that investigates ábalos for the alleged Irregular intake of masks and health materials During the pandemic. The answer comes after ábalos himself He denied having received half a million euros In Everything is a lie“He is a permanent bully.”

The instructor Leopoldo Puente had asked the transport to contribute A period of 15 days The concept, date and account to which the payments made to Ábalos were sent For the ministry that directed – corresponding to the years 2018 and 2019 – for amounts of 156,440.29 and 351,992.72 euros, respectively, under the name of “exempt income and tax diets”.

Now, the Ministry describes in detail that “from the trips of the ministers are managed by the compensation regime established in article 8 of Royal Decree 462/2002, of May 24, regarding the service due to the service, all the expenses caused by all the members of the delegation that accompanies the minister on a trip are attributed to him.” “Therefore, these expenses are linked to the name of the minister, but, in reality, Reflect the total cost of travel made in those years“, he says.

Denies transfers from paid cash to ábalos

In this sense, the department that Oscar Puente now describes in detail that these amounts have mostly paid to the travel agency that works with the ministry. “There is another part of the expenditure that is paid in cash as an advance and which is subsequently justified with the whole corresponding invoices To payments actually made, “he says.

It is striking that “during the above years, no transfer to any bank account of the minister was not made by the central pay cashier”. “In fact, in the cashier of the Central Ministry There are no data from any bank account of Ábalos“He adds.

In this context, it underlines that during the 2018 and 2019 tax years, the cash staff interpreted the IRPF regulations, understanding that the declarations of the travel expenses of the high positions that travel in a shopping compensation regime were equivalent to dietary files of the rest of the ministry, who have an individual character. “This interpretation has led to declare as” diets and assignments for travel expenses, in the amounts with the exception of IRPF tax ” All the amounts collected In the declarations of travel expenses led by the minister, “he says.

He adds that in the exercises before 2018 and after 2019 they were not included in the information sent to Fiscal agency The amounts relating to the costs for the travel of high positions that travel in a compensation regime, “since attributing total expenditure to a single person is wrong and it is not possible to carry out an individualized breakdown because the cost declaration file is unique for the entire delegation”.

“It should be noted as an example that it is not possible to attribute expenses individually as meal invoices or commissions for the change of currency,” he says. However, he assures him will send “all information” requested by the Supreme Within the period determined by the investigator magistrate.

Ábalos, “wishing to see what explanation give”

The former minister defended himself from the accusations through the journalist Sergio Parra in the program in which he is presented ironically as a “emeritus collaborator”. “He says that whoever speaks of these payments has no idea how the administration works and adds it There is no income and less in cash“, The publisher moved, citing his textual words. He described the situation that surrounds him as a” permanent swelling “and has assured that it is a” potential research based on hypotheses or hypotheses and not on a criminal act. ”

After asking if this amount could be related to the floor in which he resided during his period to the government, ábalos admitted that he had contemplated him as the possibility, but but denies knowing the origin of the figures attributed to it: “I have no idea where they get this. I can’t wait to see what explanation give.”