Politics · Spain · 5 hrs ago
Tragsa president says his post is at the government’s disposal amid hiring scandal
Tragsa president Jesús Casas said his post was at the government’s disposal after questions about hiring at the state-owned company.
The questions followed the publication of internal emails that appear to show pressure from Tragsa’s president’s office to bring in candidates linked to the Socialist Party or its associates.
Casas told staff that some people mentioned in the emails were not hired and that one person only had an internship contract; he said he had passed on CVs but had not hired anyone directly.
Tragsa’s official position is that a public office-holder’s post is always at the government’s disposal, but the company denies recent contact with the agriculture minister or the head of state holding company SEPI.
Tragsa has about 28,000 employees and carries out work for public administrations, including disaster assistance and wildfire prevention.
The hiring questions renew scrutiny of Tragsa, which came under attention after a witness in the Koldo case said she was paid by Tragsa’s engineering subsidiary and another state company without working a day; no next steps are stated.
Tragsa president Jesús Casas told employees that his position was at the government’s disposal after reports of alleged interference in hiring.
El Mundo reported that internal emails documented pressure from the company’s presidency to accommodate candidates linked to the PSOE or its associates.
Casas said some people cited in the reports were not hired, while another entered only on an internship contract.
He said he had not hired anyone directly and had only forwarded résumés, according to sources at the meeting.
Tragsa’s official sources said the president’s post is always at the government’s disposal but denied recent contact with the agriculture minister or Sepi’s president.
- Who
- Jesús Casas, president of Grupo Tragsa, told company employees his position was at the government’s disposal.
- What
- He faced questions about reported pressure on hiring after El Mundo published emails concerning recruitment.
- When
- On Thursday, according to the article.
- Where
- At Tragsa’s headquarters in Madrid, during a meeting with employee representatives.
- Why
- Employees questioned him about emails that reportedly documented pressure to accommodate candidates linked to the PSOE or its associates.
El Mundo’s sources
Jesús Casas and Tragsa’s official sources
Hiring pressure
El Mundo’s sources
El Mundo’s sources said emails documented pressure from the company presidency to accommodate candidates linked to the PSOE or their associates.
Jesús Casas and Tragsa’s official sources
Casas said he had not hired anyone directly and had only forwarded résumés.
Contact with government officials
El Mundo’s sources
Sources at the meeting said Casas referred to contacts with the Agriculture Ministry and Sepi about putting his position at the government’s disposal.
Jesús Casas and Tragsa’s official sources
Tragsa’s official sources denied any recent contact with Agriculture Minister Luis Planas or Sepi president Belén Gualda.
The government of Pedro Sánchez placed Jesús Casas at the head of Tragsa.
Jésica Rodríguez testified in the Supreme Court case known as Koldo and said she had received pay as an administrator at Tragsatec and Ineco without working a day.
Casas testified before a Senate inquiry and denied involvement in hiring.
Casas met employee representatives at Tragsa’s headquarters after El Mundo published emails concerning alleged hiring pressure.
- President
- Jesús Casas
- Company workforce
- Around 28,000 employees
- Headquarters
- Conde de Peñalver Street, Madrid
- Hiring emails
- Signed by Casas or Paloma López-Izquierdo, the director of Coordination and Institutional Actions
- New labour agreement
- Negotiations had been under way for a year
What people are saying
I am not involved in hiring anyone at Grupo Tragsa
Not at all, never