The judge in the Cerdán case suspects Ábalos' donations to the PSOE

MadridAt the request of the Supreme Court, the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard is closely examining the financial situation of José Luis Ábalos, Koldo García, and Santos Cerdán, as well as the businessmen investigated for alleged illegal kickbacks in the awarding of public works contracts. In their analysis of the assets and activities of the former Minister of Transport, investigators have found some elements that do not quite add up. One of them relates to the donations Ábalos has made to the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), and the investigating judge in the case, Judge Leopoldo Puente, is requesting information on transactions between the politician and the party, at the request of the UCO. The suspicion is that there may have been illegal financing of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party).

According to the investigation, the Tax Agency attributes Ábalos donations to the party totaling €44,729.29 between 2014 and 2024. However, the banking accounts analyzed in his name only show evidence of money being donated to the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party)7 during the same period. Given this discrepancy, the Supreme Court judge has requested that Ferraz inform the high court "as soon as possible" of "all the monetary amounts" that Ábalos gave to the party, as well as those that the PSOE transferred to the party's former number three.

"All these contributions have been fully declared to the public treasury and audited by the Court of Auditors, pursuant to the law on political party financing," socialist sources have responded. In line with what Pedro Sánchez already assured when Cerdán resignedThe PSOE denies any evidence of irregularities in the financing of its party, which, in the words of its leader, "has the highest levels of transparency in the country."

"Disharmony" in Ábalos's income

The police report received by Puente, dated July 8, notes "apparent inconsistencies in the information available regarding Ábalos's true financial situation." It raises suspicions about his actual income and assets, including "financial receipts classified as payrolls from bank accounts held by the PSOE"—hence the request for information from the party, in addition to the amounts of donations that do not match—and by the "Socialist parliamentary group in the Cortes Generales." In this regard, the UCO also disagrees with the remuneration received by Ábalos from Congress.

While the Tax Agency records that Ábalos received a total of €751,421.57 as a member of the lower house "in the form of remuneration, allowances, supplements, or other economic benefits" between 2014 and 2024, the amount reflected in his accounts is only €79,841.74. In an attempt to clarify the reason for this discrepancy, the Supreme Court's investigating judge has also requested that Congress report on "all remuneration or amounts paid for any reason" to Ábalos, detailing the "destination bank account and its ownership."

The same PSOE sources have clarified that each elected deputy "receives their salary from the Socialist parliamentary group, not from Congress." "The voluntary contribution is deducted from this salary. Furthermore, the deputy pays a fee to the party, like all PSOE members. Furthermore, senior officials affiliated with the PSOE pay a voluntary fee directly to the party," they specified.

Cerdán's career

Beyond information on Ábalos, the Supreme Court judge also requires information on the rest of those under investigation. Specifically, Puente has asked the General Treasury of Social Security to provide the employment records of the recently imprisoned number three of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Santos Cerdán, as well as Ábalos's former advisor, Koldo García; his ex-wife, Patricia Uriz; and the investigated businessmen Joseba Antxón Alonso (Servinabar 2000), Antonio and Daniel Fernández Menéndez (Public Works and Irrigation), Fernando Agustín Merino (Acciona Construction), and José Ruz (Levantina Engineering and Construction).

Also between 2014 and 2024, with the aim of understanding "the ties they may have had with certain individuals investigated in this procedure or with the companies within whose sphere and potential benefit they operated." The investigator is also requesting information (bank accounts, checks, invoices, real estate, tax returns, etc.) from the Spanish Tax Agency regarding the individuals and legal entities that may have participated in the corruption scheme. Puente hopes to "confirm or rule out the relevant aspects" of the case by cross-referencing this company data with that of the individuals under investigation.

The People's Party (PP) was quick to support the judge's move. "Their 'oxygen' didn't last them even 24 hours," tweeted Ester Muñoz, the conservative party's spokesperson in Congress, referring to Wednesday's debate in the lower house, from which Sánchez emerged with a new opportunity from his parliamentary allies.