SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The president of the investigative committee in the Canary Islands Parliament regarding the procurement of medical supplies has dismissed calls for his resignation following harsh criticism from the Socialist Group. He urged a focus on “rigour” rather than “smoke and mirrors.”

Preliminary Report and Commitments

In statements to journalists, he noted that the preliminary report was prepared by him, reflecting his opinions, and fulfilled a commitment made to parliamentary groups to submit a draft during September ahead of its discussion in committee.

He emphasised that this is a “starting document” that was validated by committee members and aims to investigate the acquisition of medical supplies while also working to uncover “the truth.” Additionally, he stated that they have been “proactive” in presenting solutions and measures in relation to future pandemics.

Concerns Over Witch Hunt

Acosta expressed confusion over the calls for a “witch hunt” against him and stated that such actions neither aid in clarifying the facts nor support the work of the committee, believing they further “delegitimate” the process.

“I believe I have done my job, met the deadlines required of me, and perhaps I am being asked to resign not due to the quality of my work—where I have seen no debate or headlines claiming that I have lied or that my proposals are unfeasible. Therefore, why is my resignation being requested? Is it simply for stating the truth?” he questioned.

Pride in Work and Content Focus

He remarked that he is “proud” of his leadership of the committee and, regarding the leak, mentioned that all parliamentary groups possess the draft and that “what matters” is its content.

“Why is there no discussion of what it states? Why are the proposals not being debated? Why are the considerations within the report not being critiqued?” he queried, expressing hope that they would continue working with “rigour” to agree on a report that not only investigates what happened but also offers constructive proposals.

Addressing Pandemic Challenges

The Herreño deputy acknowledged that there were “dramatic moments” during the pandemic where many procedures were regrettably ignored. He suggested the need to devise “a kind of roadmap of best practices to be implemented or to reform Article 120 of the public sector contracting law.”