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Two years later, 1.7 million masks remain unused in a warehouse in the County of Pamplona
  • The president, María Chivite, explained the issue of the mask in the Parliament of Navarra, noting that the operation could be rounded up better, but that it was generally done well.
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The Lehendakari did not enter the details of the operation and took over Sodena. Sodena, the business association CEN and the company Albyn signed an agreement in 2000, in the midst of a pandemic, to equip Navarre companies with anti-COVID-19 materials, especially masks.

Health was also at the beginning of the agreement, but it was withdrawn at the last stage because it considers that the agreement had shortcomings. However, so far he has not mentioned these shortcomings. Navarre Suma and EH Bildu asked Chivite for further explanations on Wednesday about Osasunbidea's position, but he did not give it either, claiming that he does not supervise all the public agreements of Navarra. He also recalled that the matter did not pass through the Governing Board. And also that the House of Auditors of Navarra published last week a report on the matter in which it says that the operation was carried out with transparency and legality.

Dismissal of Pilar Irigoien

Mikel Irujo, Economic and Business Development Advisor, stopped Pilar Irigoien, Director General of Sodena at the end of August, and on Wednesday explained that the impeachment was based on a verbal warning from Finance Advisor Elma Saiz. Saiz and Financial Controller Ignacio Arrizabalaga warn you of the possible accounting negligence in the operation of the signed agreement and of the possible criminal impact. That is why Irujo channelled the Irigoien cessation. At the meeting with Saiz and Arrizabalaga, they informed him that in the Directorate of Intervention and Accounting they have a report prepared on the matter, but Irujo acknowledged in Parliament that he did not obtain it and that it was based on verbal explanations received to dismiss Irigoien.

Report of the House of Auditors

Last week the study of the House of Auditors of Navarra on the subject of the mask was known. He concludes that the operation was conducted basically within the law, but says that Sodena had to ask the government for permission to reach an agreement. It also acknowledges that the operation was covered by the agreement of the Foral Government of 26 February 2020, which offered loans of up to 10 million. It blames the three parties for the shortcomings of the agreement, as the operation must be fully understood and signed by the three parties. It therefore advises all three of them to reach an agreement without bringing the matter to court, otherwise the material will lapse and everyone will accept their share of loss.

In the opinion of the House of Auditors, the agreement suffered from certain shortcomings: one, which the companies did not commit to buying masks purchased by Albyn. It should be recalled that Albyn’s purchase was based on the companies’ forecasts. Two, it was not even planned to solve the problems that could arise as a result of the convention. And three, the convention did not adequately support the public money involved in it.

Consequently, the camera makes three recommendations. On the one hand, it calls for agreement between the signatories. To do so, the solution could be someone's mediation. It also calls for 1.7 million masks to be removed from the store as soon as possible to prevent their expiry. Most of the material will expire this year. Finally, it calls on Sodena to act as rigorously as possible under public money in future initiatives.