A major scandal is unfolding in Andalusia involving the leadership of the regional Health Service (Servicio Andaluz de Salud, SAS). The head of the agency, Valle García, is accused of signing contract addenda which, according to the opposition, had no legal force and enabled payments to be made without the necessary supporting documentation. The total amount under dispute in these contracts from 2020 to 2024 has reached 242 million euros.
Accusations and Investigation: What We Know
The spotlight is on García’s actions, who, in July 2024, signed an addendum to a contract that had already expired. Prosecutors allege this agreement was backdated to legitimize payments for services not supported by patient lists or records of medical procedures performed. Specifically, this concerns two invoices from the private clinic Cedico, issued in May 2022 for over 84,000 euros for services supposedly rendered in 2020. The main contract with this clinic, however, had ended and been fully paid back in late 2020.
The investigation notes that the provided documents lack information on patients, details of the services rendered, and their costs. Nevertheless, the invoices were paid, and supplemental agreements were signed after the main contract had expired. This has raised suspicions of attempts to conceal or justify unauthorized payments.
The Scale of the Case and the Role of SAS Leadership
The case has taken on significant proportions: investigative materials now exceed 160,000 pages and nearly 38,000 files. Investigators note that some documents provided by the agency are incomplete, and certain information may have been deliberately concealed or altered. There are also suggestions that staff responsible for submitting information to the court may have been pressured to withhold key details.
Attention to the case intensified when it was revealed that in 2020, regional authorities changed the system for overseeing SAS contract signings, abandoning mandatory preliminary approvals in favor of verbal agreements between officials. This move, made at the height of the pandemic, allowed major deals with private clinics to be concluded without adequate oversight or transparency.
Demands for further investigation and next steps
Given the enormous volume of materials and the complexity of uncovering all the facts, prosecutors insist on involving specialists from the Intervención General de la Administración del Estado (IGAE). Their task is to conduct a thorough review of all contracts, invoices, additional agreements, and correspondence between SAS and private medical institutions over the past four years.
Experts are expected to identify potential violations, determine whether there were any abuses, and establish who was responsible for the disputed payments. Particular attention is being paid to how supplementary agreements were drawn up and why they were signed years after the original contracts had expired.
Prospects and Public Reaction
The scandal surrounding SAS contracts has sparked widespread public outcry in Andalusia. Residents are concerned about how budget funds are being spent, especially amid the healthcare crisis. Many are demanding transparency and accountability for those responsible if any violations are confirmed.
New hearings on the case are expected soon, with not only the current head of SAS but also her predecessors set to testify. Investigators continue to review documents, and it is possible that new details about the scale and mechanisms of the disputed payments will emerge in the coming months.
