The Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Guardia Civil, on behalf of the Supreme Court, entered the PSOE headquarters in Madrid’s Ferraz street today. The aim of the operation is to secure and clarify allegedly irregular tenders and corruption allegations. The investigation particularly focuses on the corporate email of the party’s former organizational secretary, Santos Cerdán.
Raids in Government Buildings: Ministry of Transport and Adif Affected
However, the investigations are not limited to the Socialist party headquarters alone. According to sources close to the investigation, officials simultaneously visited the Ministry of Transport, facilities of Adif (the Spanish railway infrastructure company), and the Directorate General of Roads. Information is also being requested there in connection with the investigations ordered by Supreme Court Judge Leopoldo Puente.
The Koldo Case and the Role of Santos Cerdán
The current searches are part of the so-called “Koldo Case,” which has already caused considerable uproar. The public prosecutor’s office, led by the conservative PP, had strongly urged Judge Leopoldo Puente to order the search of Santos Cerdán’s apartment and offices at the PSOE headquarters in Ferraz, as well as in the Congress of Deputies. The UCO report had previously led to ten further searches in various apartments connected to the investigated tenders, including the apartment of former minister José Luis Ábalos.
Immunity and the Urgency of Securing Evidence
The particular explosiveness in the Cerdán case arises from his former parliamentary immunity, which he only lost last Monday with his resignation. This had prevented a comprehensive search of his premises until now. Investigators are now urgently warning of the possibility that “essential evidence for the investigations could be destroyed during these searches (if it has not already been destroyed) if action is not taken quickly.” The urgency of securing evidence is paramount to ensure a complete clarification of the allegations.
Consequences for Spanish Politics Expected
The searches and ongoing investigations could have far-reaching consequences for Spanish politics. The case sheds light on the transparency and integrity of public tenders and the entanglements between politics and business. It remains to be seen what further revelations the investigations will uncover and which political figures might still be shaken.
