Santos Cerdán is released from prison and denounces "manipulations": "I trust that the truth will prevail."

MadridAfter 142 days in Soto del Real prison, Santos Cerdán has been released on bail by order of the Supreme Court judge investigating him for alleged corruption. Upon his release, the former third-ranking member of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) denounced the "lies" and "manipulations" that, he says, are being spread about him. "I trust that the truth will prevail and justice will be served," he declared outside the prison on Wednesday night. However, Judge Leopoldo Puente's decision does not represent an improvement in Cerdán's legal situation, but quite the opposite. The judge investigating the case of alleged illegal commissions in public works contracts, who until now had justified keeping him imprisoned due to the risk of evidence tampering, ruled on Wednesday that he had gathered sufficient evidence to ensure that the release of the former PSOE leader would no longer compromise the investigation. The decision comes just one day after... a new report from the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard came to light, in which investigators place Cerdán as "the link" between the Spanish government and Acciona, the construction company at the epicenter of the alleged scheme.

In this regard, in the order granting provisional release, Puente emphasizes that the investigation "has not only failed to diminish the consistent evidence of criminality" against Cerdán, but "has only served to confirm and strengthen it" and has allowed for the opening of "new lines of inquiry." It is no coincidence that the decision has come five days after the UCO searched several Acciona headquarters in search of new evidence to bolster the judge's theory: that the multinational and Servinabar, a company allegedly linked to Cerdán, "may have conspired" to obtain "illegally" contracts with the "decisive participation of third parties." The relationship between Acciona and Servinabar was allegedly "personally orchestrated" by Cerdán, Joseba Antxon (owner of Servinabar), and Justo Vicente Pelegrini (who was Acciona's Construction Director and was dismissed).

The PSOE and the Moncloa Palace acknowledge the "seriousness" of the UCO's revelations, but distance themselves. Party sources limit the case to a matter concerning those under investigation and deny that it affects the party or the Spanish government. The message is that the legislature continues, no matter what. the PP has pounced on them The case involves two former officials who were once among Pedro Sánchez's closest confidants. This is why the People's Party (PP) insists on linking the Spanish Prime Minister to the case and predicts that he, too, "will eventually fall." At a press conference in the lower house of parliament, the PP's second-in-command, Miguel Tellado, urged Cerdán to use his release to explain his role and that of the "number one," referring to Sánchez, in the scheme. Tellado also demanded that Cerdán return the money he allegedly embezzled.

Socialist sources consulted by ARA dismiss the possibility that Cerdán will stir up trouble once he's out and potentially implicate the party, as they consider the investigation "a personal matter, involving three people." "He has nothing to say, other than to be ashamed," they maintain. Sumar, which is calling for action against corruption "wherever it comes from," also doesn't believe Cerdán's release will change anything. According to sources within the minority coalition party, the legislature will not be derailed by this. However, those consulted themselves were surprised by the latest Civil Guard report, as they didn't expect it to reveal such "shameless" behavior. Other parties within the multinational majority, such as Podemos, have raised their voices. The leader of the purple party, Ione Belarra, has referred to it as a "PSOE case" and has demanded further explanations and decisions such as a ban on public contracts with Acciona.

Regarding the release, the same PSOE sources welcome the end to the anomaly of applying this precautionary measure only to Cerdán and not to the other individuals under investigation. From now on, Cerdán will be subject to the same precautionary measures as the other two alleged members of the network. As with José Luis Ábalos, former Minister of Transport, and Koldo García, his former advisor is prohibited from leaving the country, his passport has been confiscated, and he must appear in court every two weeks. Within this framework, and now outside the prison, he will continue to be considered a suspect for the crimes of belonging to a criminal organization, bribery, and influence peddling.

Interlocutòria de la llibertat provisional de Santos Cerdán

Five failed attempts

Cerdán's defense, led by lawyers Benet Salellas and Jacobo Teijelo, repeatedly attempted to secure the former Socialist Party's organizing secretary's release before the maximum six-month period of pretrial detention expired. This effort was successful before the five-month mark, as he was imprisoned on June 30th. "It has been repeatedly pointed out that, as soon as the risk of tampering, concealment, or destruction of evidence disappeared, the precautionary measure would be subject to review, even ex officio. And, indeed, this moment has arrived," the judge's order states.

Before reaching this point, the lawyers unsuccessfully attempted on five separate occasions to overturn a precautionary measure they considered disproportionate and an "incomprehensible double standard" compared to Ábalos and Koldo. The first instance was in July, when the Supreme Court's appeals chamber, with Pablo Llarena as the presiding judge, upheld his imprisonment, arguing that only he seemed to "know the destination of the money" and the "trace" and "traces" of his activity. Subsequently, Cerdán toured in the Constitutional Court with an appeal for protection, but the Court immediately rejected it and ruled out not even study it.