Spain continues its large-scale investigation into alleged corruption in the awarding of public contracts. The country’s Supreme Court has summoned three more employees of the construction giant Acciona for questioning. Investigators believe they may have played a role in illegally securing deals for major infrastructure projects.
The decision to summon new suspects was made after a series of raids last week on Acciona’s offices in Madrid and Bilbao, as well as on the home of the company’s former head of construction. Investigators are looking not only at the ex-director’s actions, but also at those of his former subordinates, who remain employed by the company. All three are expected to appear in court in early December.
Investigation widens as new details emerge
Meanwhile, the judge has declassified part of the case related to the property holdings of a former high-ranking official from the ruling party. This information will now be merged with the main investigation, which already implicates a former transport minister, his adviser, and several businesspeople, including another former Acciona executive.
Attention has focused on suspicions that there may have been serious violations in the awarding of contracts for construction and infrastructure repairs within the Ministry of Transport during the tenure of the former minister. Investigators believe that certain contracts were awarded to specific companies for non-random reasons, and that large sums of money may have been paid under the table.
A network of companies and financial flows
The searches affected not only Acciona but also a number of other firms. Among them are two cooperative organizations from the Basque Country which, as it turned out, are connected to a company from Navarra listed in the case as a possible hub for the contract allocation scheme. One of these cooperatives received significant sums from the company investigators consider to be the key player in the alleged scheme. The owner of this company and his business partners are also suspects in the case.
In Seville, investigators turned their attention to two companies that, together with Acciona, took part in the expansion project of one of the city’s largest bridges. The contract value rose significantly compared to the original amount, raising further questions among investigators. According to the investigation’s version, some of the funds may have been used to pay illegal kickbacks.
Internal connections and personnel changes
The case files also include conversations between former officials indicating that individuals with ties to Acciona may have been employed at the Ministry of Transport. After the first results of the investigation were published, the company dismissed one of its top managers, citing insufficient responsibility in the performance of official duties.
The investigation is ongoing, and according to experts, the list of suspects may grow. Authorities are analyzing confiscated documents, email correspondence, and financial flows between companies and individuals. In the coming months, the public expects further high-profile revelations that could impact not only the business sector but also the country’s political circles.
