Koldo recorded Santos Cerdán and Ábalos for four years
The so-called Koldo case erupted this Thursday with eight recordings in four years (2019-2023) by former advisor Koldo García to former minister José Luis Ábalos and former PSOE Organization Secretary Santos Cerdán , which "allows us to draw an indicative picture of enormous incriminating power ."
In a document obtained by EFE, the Prosecutor's Office made it clear to Supreme Court Judge Leopoldo Puente that the recordings made by Koldo "are of capital importance" to the proceedings.
"The transcription of the aforementioned recordings is so expressive that, in many cases, it dispenses with any additional commentary ," the Public Prosecutor's Office emphasizes in its written response to the UCO report of June 5 , in which it requests, among other measures, a search of Ábalos's house.
The Public Prosecutor's Office highlights two issues regarding the who and the what: "Koldo's involvement as the interlocutor in all the recordings" and "the common theme that dominates the conversations," that is, "the pursuit of payment of alleged financial compensation owed following the awarding of public works."
This "allows us to draw a picture of enormous incriminating power against those investigated in this procedure."
There were eight recordings in four years (2019-2023) , which began when Ábalos had already been a minister for a year and continued after his departure from Pedro Sánchez's government in July 2021.
In all of them, Koldo and Ábalos summarize the amounts owed to both of them, after which the former advisor addresses Santos Cerdán, with whom he discusses the specific debts, "the latter appearing to be the person in charge of managing these alleged payments ."
The Prosecutor's Office says that "such claims maintain a homogeneous structure " in those eight audio recordings that Koldo recorded between 2019 and 2023, with which he "recorded his conversations with Ábalos and Santos Cerdán."
"These conversations always revolved around demands for the amount of money owed to them: Ábalos Meco, and by extension Koldo García, generated the debt with Acciona for allegedly fraudulent contracts , and Santos Cerdán was allegedly in charge of managing the amount and the payments."
The relationship between the now former Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán , and the former ministerial advisor Koldo García dates back to 2013 , although 10 years later they experienced a distancing that irritated the latter, who was impatient to arrange a meeting with him so that he could allegedly obtain two projects for him.
This is evident from the latest report by the Civil Guard, to which EFE has had access, which explains the "hierarchical" "subordinate-boss" relationship between the two for years and their alleged participation, alongside former minister José Luis Ábalos , in allegedly irregular public works contracts under investigation by the Supreme Court.
The phrase "I'm going to put pressure on Santos as God commands and I have the formula to do it" shows the anger Koldo García had on November 23, 2023, when in a conversation in a cafe with Ábalos that he himself recorded, he asked him to get him a meeting with the current number 3 of the PSOE.
"(...) Get Santos to receive me for five minutes, and I'll get you 450,000 euros . But in a month. I know how to do it," said Koldo García, after a year - he stressed - "after" Santos Cerdán to receive him.
What Koldo García wanted, according to the report, was for Cerdán to help him secure two jobs at Adif and the Directorate General of Highways for a trusted company - "if he gives me two 35-pound jobs, I'll easily get half a kilo there."
"Boss, get Santos to see me for five minutes, we need that. And he's capable, because Óscar listens to him. We'll get two fucking projects, and fuck him (sic) ," he reiterated, referring to the current minister, Óscar Puente. He ended up getting that meeting less than a month later. On December 12, 2023 , according to the report, the two met at a public establishment, and Koldo García, again, recorded the meeting.
The former ministerial advisor, who would be arrested months later, reproached the former socialist leader for his distancing himself, and the latter, according to the conversation, justified it by saying that he had been warned that the Civil Guard was investigating him . During the conversation, in whispers and with numerous unintelligible passages, the former advisor laments the surveillance that the Civil Guard was following him at the time and comments that, according to what they told him, "they were talking to the president and the president said that I was corrupt and that he wanted me dead ."
"I did everything they asked me to."
Earlier, in a moment the Civil Guard couldn't capture with integrity, Koldo García indicated that he sent "the message with a couple of people." " It reached Óscar López, Antonio Hernando , I spoke with José, with José Luis, and they didn't say anything."
Koldo complains about having been "hiding in a fucking corner for two years and three months" when he did "absolutely everything" that was asked of him, and says that he helped "absolutely everyone", and mentions "Pepe Bono" and "Pepe Blanco" , who, he points out, have asked him for "everything".
Koldo indicates that if he had 10 million he would not be "begging, crying and eating shit" to try to get "a few crumbs" , and shows his anger with the former president of Adif Isabel Pardo de Vera for allegedly not having agreed to help the company that Ábalos had indicated to him.
Cerdán seems inclined to help him - "I'm going to try to do something, I don't know how now, but I'm going to think about it with (unintelligible)" - but when Koldo García alludes to "a construction competition", he says: "No, but no, not that kind. The kind we're talking about, money."
Koldo García tells him that he would have tried to get money from Ábalos' son, but that he needed Cerdán to speak with Óscar Puente: " I've done so well that I'm only asking for my part , but you have to give me something (unintelligible) you have 4 years left to be able to do things."
Faced with the former advisor's subsequent reproach— "you killed me in a brutal, and I think unnecessary, way" —Cerdán again comments that he will look for a "formula" and accepts Koldo's request that he be called again for "a specific favor," but, he emphasizes, "not with the Ministry."
"To ask me for (unintelligible) Ministries from any (unintelligible) after what happened to you, I say (unintelligible)," Cerdán indicated. "It's being done," Koldo replied.
In the conversation, they also discuss the security of communications, after mentioning the possibility that the former advisor had them intercepted, and Cerdán advises him to use the Signal application , through which - he said - he spoke with Bildu.
Following this meeting, "no further recorded conversations with Ábalos or Santos regarding matters related to public works have been recorded," the UCO emphasizes, suspecting that Koldo García may have considered "putting pressure" on them .
Thus ends the report's references to a relationship between the two, with ups and downs, redirected on several occasions and dating back at least to 2013, during their time together in the Socialist Party of Navarre.
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