PSOE to Report Alleged Fraud in Andalusian Health Contracts Amid Scandal Claims
On Tuesday, Juan Espadas, the General Secretary of the Andalusian PSOE, announced the party's plan to take legal action regarding the health contracts issued by the Junta, amid alarming allegations of legal fraud. This announcement follows a damning report from the Intervención, which highlighted the fragmentation of contracts and the distribution of substantial funds to select companies.
Espadas demanded immediate explanations and accountability from the President of the Junta, Juanma Moreno, over the concerning nature of these contracts, which he argues validates claims made by the PSOE over the past year. According to reports from elDiarioes, the Andalusian government allegedly splintered thousands of contracts, amounting to a staggering 4,583 million euros in fiscal year 2021, effectively circumventing the rules of public procurement.
The supervisory authority accused the Servicio Andaluz de Salud (SAS) of breaking down multi-million euro contracts into hundreds of smaller, ostensibly similar agreements. This practice was reportedly aimed at justifying the direct awarding of contracts to certain companies, thereby bypassing necessary public notifications and competitive bidding processes – a clear violation of the law.
Espadas characterized the Junta's actions as a serious breach of trust, reinforcing the PSOE’s long-standing claims regarding the disregard for public contracting regulations. He underscored the abuse of emergency contracts awarded without proper procedures to private healthcare entities, and now this additional layer of purported wrongdoing with contract fragmentation.
"This fragmentation of health contracts is obviously reportable," Espadas stated, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. He confirmed that the PSOE would soon file these allegations in court. Additionally, he announced that during this week’s session of the Parliament, they would demand to know how much the preferential contracts sanctioned by Moreno are costing the people of Andalusia.
Espadas condemned the persistence of an irregular and undermining system that is detrimental to the region's public health, calling it utterly unacceptable. He highlighted that this situation might only represent the 'tip of the iceberg' of a wider scandal. The Intervención’s findings currently assess just four provinces and exclusively the year 2021, but Espadas firmly asserted that these irregular practices have been ongoing for many years, extending well beyond the pandemic.
As the PSOE prepares to take legal action and seeks further clarification from the Junta, this unfolding situation points to deep-rooted issues within the administration's handling of public health contracting and could lead to significant political ramifications in the Andalusian government.
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