“All governments have secret spending, including this one,” former President Christiani told the Special Commission to Investigate Bonuses.

The former president of Salvador, Alfredo Christiani, came to the legislature this morning and appeared before a special panel to inquire about bonuses from the presidential palace’s public funds that are said to have been paid to officials, individuals and law firms by previous governments.

After he arrived, the commission was set up at 9:30 a.m. Three minutes later, the former president made his entrance. However, minutes after he took office, the commission’s chairman George Castro, a member of the News Ideas, said the investigation had been suspended for a few minutes due to technical glitches related to the problem in recording the session.

After more than an hour of investigation, one of the successive responses given by the former president to the commission’s representatives focused on “everything received and provided during his government was done in accordance with the law.”

With this in mind, the delegates asked questions about the implementation of secret spending during Alfredo Christiani’s presidency between 1989 and 1994, in which they questioned whether funds had been taken from that item to give gifts to officials. Then.

Christiani, however, pointed out that the expenses could not be disclosed as they were allocated, for which he cited the direct CI of Section 31 of the Civil Service Act, which confirms that it is the duty of the officers and staff required. Things they know because of their status or employment, even after they have stopped doing so ”.

Similarly, the former president pointed out that the commission’s representatives have advanced criteria, while they are committed to blaming themselves and are far removed from investigating and restricting themselves to the commission’s activities. “They need to investigate all governments, not just the past,” he said: “If they really want to solve the country’s problems, they need to look forward without looking back.

Arena Deputy Romero questioned the existence of a microphone from the Presidential Palace, within the first part of Christian’s appearance. Video EDH.

On questions surrounding the allocated costs of his presidency, the former president pointed out that these costs are in all other governments, and in El Salvador they were in past governments, just like the current. “All governments, including this one, have secret costs,” he concluded.

After a gap of about an hour, the session resumed with the participation of Deputy Rebecca Santos, who repeatedly asked the President if he could “definitively deny whether he had given bonuses to his officers during his tenure.”

Faced with a series of questions, the former president answered similar questions: “All that I have approved or received is legitimate,” he later added, adding that even if the purpose of the questions was to accuse him of illegal activities, the delegates would repeatedly approach the relevant agencies if there was any evidence that they were illegal. . “I urge you to do so,” he told them.

During Deputy Santos’ question, Deputy Romero intervened and had a brief discussion with the commission’s chairman, Jorge Castro, in which he pointed out that pro-government representatives were “obligated to comply with the script given to them.” .

In one of the last questions, Vice President Raul Castillo took into account the record of several checks issued in the name of the former President in the first six months of 1994, he clarified, due to a reform in the accounting of government agencies, carried out in January of that year, the checks were issued in his name, but at the same time, 101 and 102 projects were approved for inclusion in the budgets, which, according to the former president, are the state intelligence agency (OIE) and the Presidential House administrative costs, respectively.

The special commission, made up of representatives of the ruling elites, last week announced the summons to former President Sistiani and his private secretary to Arturo Dona, who came to the commission during his presidency (1989-1994). . In the afternoon.

Similarly, the Commission called on the former President, now convicted of offenses related to illicit enrichment, to appear before the delegates after Elias Antonio Saga, Alfredo Christiani and Arturo Dona, during his presidency (2004-2009), Elmer Charlix.

Can read: “The delegates who interrogated me reached the brink of torture,” says Lorena Pena

Arena party leader Ren தலைவர் Portillo Quadra, who faced the setting up of a special commission to take office a week ago, said: .

Similarly, FMLN faction leader Jaime Guevara added that “impartiality is not guaranteed by the inclusion of officials in the current government”, adding that the party will not participate in the formation of the special commission.

Also read: Current government officials will not be questioned for bonuses because they have jurisdiction

For his part, PCN vice-president Seraphim Orandas said on July 16 that the current government officials were not being investigated because they had jurisdiction.

“This is for previous governments. The five-year term of the current president (Naib Bukhale) is not over. It will be a little easier for the people to lose our jurisdiction which will be investigated in the future. some days.