The Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Spanish Civil Guard has identified 18,260 euros in cash deposits of “apparently unknown origin” in the accounts of Santos Cerdán between 2014 and 2017, according to a recently released patrimonial report. The investigation also highlights a decrease in card spending and cash withdrawals starting in 2019, coinciding with the tenure of former minister José Luis Ábalos and the awarding of contracts to the construction firm Acciona.
UCO Report Details Unidentified Cash and Spending Shifts
The Civil Guard’s UCO report, delivered a year after the initial inquiry began, focuses on the financial movements of Santos Cerdán. Investigators flagged 18,260 euros in cash deposits made between 2014 and 2017. This period aligns with the government administration of Mariano Rajoy. The report characterizes these specific funds as having an “apparently unknown origin.”
Beyond the direct deposits, the UCO noted a distinct shift in Cerdán’s financial behavior beginning in 2019. The report describes a “reduction in expenses” made via credit or debit cards and a drop in cash withdrawals. According to the investigators, this timeline “coincides temporally” with the period José Luis Ábalos served as minister and the awarding of several suspect contracts to the construction company Acciona.
Discrepancies in Expense Declarations and Third-Party Payments
The patrimonial analysis also examined the relationship between declared expenses and actual spending. The UCO found that the expense liquidations declared by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the Congress were “higher” than the expenses the investigators deemed “susceptible” to being claimed.
Additionally, the report identifies a series of cash payments made by Koldo García and Patricia Úriz, García’s former partner. These specific payments were directed toward the rental installments of a vehicle used by Cerdán.
Context of the Koldo García Investigation
These findings emerge amid a broader judicial probe into Koldo García, a former advisor to José Luis Ábalos.
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