Rabat – Spanish government officials provided the press with contradictory statements surrounding the mysterious rerouting of an Algerian government plane bound for Logrono, Spain.
Tuesday morning, a plane owned by the Algerian government took off from an airfield 30 kilometers south of the capital city of Algiers near the town of Boufarik. The plane’s flight plan was bound for Spain’s Logrono airport.
After just half an hour, the plane made a 180 degree turn over Ibiza and returned to its origin.
The plane’s departure coincided with Brahim Ghali’s virtual court hearing in Spain and many analysts questioned the reason behind the plane’s sudden change in course.
When asked about the Algerian plane, Spanish politician María Jesús Montero stated she had “no record.”
Other Spanish politicians provided conflicting statements.
Jose Luis Abalos, Spain’s Minister of Development of the Government, told Spanish media that the plane may have had technical issues which prompted the flight crew to return to Algeria.
In an interview with a Spanish talk show Tuesday evening, Abalos changed his statement, citing poor weather conditions and improper accommodations for the jet at the airport in Logrono.
Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo offered the media a third version of the narrative. Calvo claimed that Brahim Ghali would still be attending the witness hearing and the possibility of his imminent departure was unknown.
Ghali left Spain aboard a different aircraft on Tuesday night around midnight. By Wednesday morning, Ghali had already met with Algeria’s President Abdelmajid Tebboune.
The varied answers by Spanish politicians show the state of disarray present in the Spanish government.
Spain’s hosting of Brahim Ghali has proven to be a mistake as tensions with Morocco have reached historical levels and the international community has condemned Spain’s collaboration with the Polisario leader who stands accused of war crimes.
