A Madrid court has initiated an investigation into former PSOE organizational secretary Santos Cerdán for alleged false testimony during a Senate hearing about the 'Koldo case.' The Investigating Court Number 24 of Madrid admitted a complaint filed by the organization Hazte Oír, finding sufficient indications that Cerdán may have substantially deviated from the truth during his April 30, 2024, appearance before the parliamentary commission investigating the matter.
The judicial resolution, accessed by multiple media outlets, states that Cerdán's testimony showed clear divergence between his narrative and the material reality about which he was questioned. The judge specifically noted that while Cerdán answered 'no' to all key questions about his relationship with former ministerial advisor Koldo García, a report from the Guardia Civil's Central Operative Unit suggested otherwise. The questions centered on whether Cerdán had contact with García between 2021 and 2023 and whether he knew about García's intermediary activities in mask procurement.
The court has requested verification from Spain's Congress of Deputies that Cerdán relinquished his parliamentary seat, which occurred in June and resulted in the loss of his legal immunity. This procedural step would allow Madrid courts to proceed with investigating the former third-ranking official of Spain's Socialist Party. The judge determined that admitting the complaint for processing was necessary to either corroborate the initial indications or potentially archive the case if evidence proves insufficient.
The allegations stem from Cerdán's testimony before the Senate commission investigating public contracts and potential corruption related to pandemic-era mask procurement. Hazte Oír's complaint cites Article 502.3 of Spain's Penal Code, which penalizes false testimony before parliamentary commissions with prison sentences of six months to one year or fines. The court emphasized that the questions and answers were directly related to the commission's investigative purpose rather than matters of opinion or interpretation.
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