Isabel Pardo de Vera Defends Her Actions Amid Allegations of Nepotism

Isabel Pardo de Vera, the former president of Adif, testified in the Supreme Court this Tuesday regarding her involvement in the hiring process of a candidate connected to former Minister José Luis Ábalos. Pardo de Vera firmly denied claims that she received pressure from Ábalos to facilitate the hiring of his ex-partner in a public company, stating that her role was merely to forward a resume, devoid of any orders or expectations attached. In her testimony during the ongoing trial investigating alleged irregularities in mask contracts, which also implicates former advisor Koldo García and businessman Víctor de Aldama, Pardo de Vera emphasized, "I never conveyed it as a demand; what I did was to share this CV that arrived from the minister's office for consideration, and nothing more." Throughout her statement, Pardo de Vera reinforced that her actions did not imply authority to make hiring decisions at Ineco and that forwarding the resume was procedural rather than pressured. She dismissed assertions from García that suggested the former minister might reach out to her, asserting those types of communications were common in their line of work. A pivotal moment in her testimony came when she revealed that upon discovering the personal connection between the candidate and the former minister, she perceived a conflict of interest. She claimed to have communicated this realization to Ábalos, warning him that continuing the contract or extending it further in another public company would not be appropriate. Once she decisively informed him of this conflict, Ábalos allegedly responded, "do what you deem appropriate," leading her to believe the matter was resolved. Contrasting Pardo de Vera's account is that of Ignacio Zaldívar, another high-ranking official, who alleged that she intervened in response to complaints made by Minister Ábalos about how his ex-partner was being treated within public companies. Pardo de Vera has staunchly denied Zaldívar's claims, maintaining that any inquiries were not instigated by Ábalos. Further complicating the narrative, Pardo de Vera stated that she was unaware of the subsequent hiring of the ex-partner by another public company. She suggested that internal miscommunications among officials might have obscured the situation surrounding her past involvement. In a related development, Claudia Montes, a former Miss Asturias and supposed ex-partner of Ábalos, testified in the Supreme Court regarding her experience working under Koldo García. Montes reported that she faced significant workplace challenges, including being assigned to a position that lacked basic resources such as a computer and a desk. Instead, she resorted to utilizing library books on trains, illustrating the challenges she faced within the bureaucratic environment. As this legal proceeding unfolds, the implications of Pardo de Vera's testimony raise critical questions about transparency and accountability in public hiring practices. The legal consequences for those involved in the alleged nepotism scandal remain to be seen as the court continues to unravel the complex web of relationships and pressures within public institutions. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2