Calls for Rodriguez and Matas to face the music

IT could be today, or it could be next week, but at some point over the festive holidays, the Balearic Interior Minister, José María Rodríguez, is going to appear before parliament and explain just what his involvement, if any, is in the Andratx scandal. Since Monday, the minister has come under increasing pressure to resign over claims that he was the “mole” who blew the whistle on the police investigation into alleged corruption in Andratx to the ex-mayor Eugenio Hidalgo. Hidalgo was arrested and since released on bail, as part of the investigation. Yesterday, the Balearic government recommended that Rodriquez provide parliament with a full explanation while opposition PSOE said that it should be the Balearic president Jaume Matas giving an explanation. The parliamentary Committee will decide today if both Rodriguez, who has agreed to fully co-operate, and Matas are going to be hauled before parliament. It will then be up to Maria Antonia Munar, president of the Institutional Affairs Committee, and leader of the Majorca Union party who on Tuesday suggested Rodriguez's resignation would be in the government's interest, to decide when the parliamentary hearing will be held.
BAD GUYS
Matas's deputy, vice-president Rosa Estaras, said yesterday that she hoped Rodriguez is called as quickly as possible, “it could be today”, in order to clear the situation up sooner rather than later. “The bad guys know who they are, they've got nothing to do with the government and the government could never have tipped anyone off about the police operation or anything because no body knew,” she added.
However, the conservative Partido Popular are not too happy about the PSOE-PSIB socialists call for Matas to provide an official explanation to parliament.
The PP's parliamentary spokesperson, Joan Huguet, claimed that, as Rodriguez is going to appear, there will be no need for Matas's explanation.
But, spokesperson for the PSOE-PSIB socialists, Francina Armengol, said that Matas' failure to provide an explanation, either voluntarily or under obligation, will make it very hard to believe that he has “nothing to hide”.