The Supreme Court of Spain (Tribunal Supremo) has scheduled a hearing with six experts to determine the authenticity of audio recordings seized from Koldo García. These recordings have become key evidence in the investigation against former senior members of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) — Santos Cerdán and José Luis Ábalos. Judge Leopoldo Puente decided to hear expert opinions after Cerdán’s defense presented an alternative report that casts doubt on the validity of the audio files.
The hearing is set for December 11. It will involve four experts from the Guardia Civil and two specialists brought in by Cerdán’s lawyers. Their task is to clarify the conflicting conclusions reached during the analysis of eight audio recordings, which form the basis of the charges against the former secretaries of the PSOE organization.
Doubts about the evidence
In September last year, experts from the Guardia Civil concluded that the audio files had not been altered. However, Cerdán’s defense submitted its own study claiming the opposite: in their view, the recordings were processed, restored, or even modified after they were originally created. This led to the need for further review and the summoning of all experts for an in-person discussion.
At the heart of the dispute are the technical details of the files. The defense claims that the audio recordings contain traces of Apple operating system versions that were released after the alleged date of the recordings. According to their experts, this could indicate that the files were tampered with after their creation.
Key points of the investigation
The audio recordings seized during the search of Koldo García formed the basis for charges against the former minister of transport, his adviser, and also against Serdán. These recordings allegedly capture conversations about possible manipulations of government contracts and the receipt of kickbacks. Before these files emerged, Serdán’s involvement in the alleged corruption scheme had not been confirmed.
The defense strategy focuses on challenging the credibility of the audio recordings and seeking their exclusion from the case. The Supreme Court had previously rejected such motions, but after a new expert report appeared, the judge decided to hold an additional hearing.
Technical details
A report by Civil Guard specialists notes that their analysis found no signs of alterations, tampering, or other anomalies in the audio files. However, the experts acknowledge that the absence of certain technical data makes it impossible to determine with absolute certainty when the files were created. This limits the ability to establish an exact chronology of events.
At the same time, experts note that the discrepancies found—for example, differences in file creation dates and software versions—may be explained by operating system updates on the mobile devices used for recording. Nevertheless, they do not rule out the need for further investigation to definitively clarify the situation.
Next steps
The judge emphasized the importance of determining whether the audio files were recorded directly on the devices where they were found, or whether they might have been transferred from other media. It also remains to be established whether it is possible, with sufficient certainty, to rule out the possibility of editing, trimming, or other processing.
Due to disagreements among experts, the court finds it necessary to obtain the fullest possible technical picture. The outcome of the hearing could have a significant impact on the course of the case and the fate of the defendants.
