Late last week, officers from the Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard conducted searches at the offices of major construction company Acciona in Madrid and Bilbao. Investigators are seizing documents that could shed light on the details of a large-scale corruption case known as the ‘Cerdán case.’
At the heart of the investigation are suspicions of illegal kickbacks in exchange for access to government contracts. The case features former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, his close associate Koldo García, and former PSOE organizational secretary Santos Cerdán. According to investigators, representatives of Acciona may have influenced appointments within the ministry to advance the company’s interests.
Particular attention is focused on the role of former Acciona Construcción CEO Justo Vicente Pelegrini, who was fired shortly after the UCO findings were published. Nevertheless, Pelegrini has not yet been called in for questioning, neither as a witness nor in any other capacity. Authorities are trying to establish how deeply the company was involved in the state contract allocation scheme and what methods were used to gain a competitive advantage.
Internal violations and dismissals
Alongside the main investigation, details have emerged about Acciona’s internal policies. Several years ago, an employee reported violations during tender participation. According to him, regional representatives were sending the conditions for upcoming tenders to an external Gmail inbox, allowing proposals to be prepared in advance and competitors to be bypassed. Following the internal complaint, this channel was shut down, but the whistleblower was soon dismissed. The court ruled the dismissal unlawful and ordered the company to reinstate the employee.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that Acciona’s management not only failed to protect the whistleblower but also attempted to identify him despite promises of anonymity. The internal investigation was led by a former law enforcement officer who analyzed corporate correspondence for leaks. As a result, both the employee who reported the violations and his colleague who provided video evidence were dismissed on the same day. The company cited restructuring as the reason, but the court viewed the actions as retaliation for their complaints.
Ties to municipalities and new revelations
The case materials include episodes involving access to information about tenders in various regions of Spain, including Alicante and Madrid. In one instance, Acciona hired a consultant who had previously participated in preparing tender documents for the municipality, giving the company an advantage when submitting its bid. Court records confirm the authenticity of the correspondence and audio recordings submitted by the dismissed employees.
While the investigation continues to analyze the seized documents, public attention remains focused on how major companies interact with government bodies and respond to internal reports of misconduct. It is expected that new findings could lead to further questioning and possibly broaden the circle of suspects.
