Judge orders banks to release family accounts of ex-PSOE leader Santos Cerdán

A Spanish judge has ordered five banks to hand over financial records of Santos Cerdán, his wife, daughter, sister, and brother-in-law, as part of the 'caso Koldo' corruption investigation. The order, issued by Audiencia Nacional judge Ismael Moreno, follows a UCO report that detected 323,178 euros in allegedly irregular benefits received by Cerdán and his family between 2015 and 2024, peaking during José Luis Ábalos's tenure as Transport Minister Source: Infobae, El Mundo.

The investigation

The UCO report indicated that Cerdán's family benefited from funds channelled through Servinabar, a company linked to Acciona, which secured public contracts under Ábalos. The judge noted that 87.04% of Servinabar's income came from Acciona or related projects. Investigators suspect Cerdán had undeclared income, including cash deposits from Koldo García (Ábalos's former advisor) and other unknown sources totaling 18,261.56 euros between 2014 and 2017 Source: El Mundo, El Confidencial.

What the order covers

• The judge requested information on about twenty accounts from BBVA, Caixabank, Santander, Cajasur, and Caja Rural de Navarra.
• The probe now extends to family members (wife, daughter, sister, brother-in-law) who allegedly received benefits such as salary payments and a failed attempt to buy a luxury apartment in Madrid for 985,000 euros, with Servinabar paying a 9,000-euro deposit Source: El Confidencial.
• The judge emphasized that there are 'clear objective indications' of involvement in organized crime and corruption, not mere suspicion Source: Infobae (EFE).

Reactions and next steps

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities seeking to trace all funds and determine the full extent of Cerdán's assets. The PSOE has not commented on the latest developments.