Else Beekman
The Partido Popular (PP) has taken its legal battle against the PSOE to the next level, filing a lawsuit in Spain’s Audiencia Nacional on Monday. The PP is accusing the ruling party of serious crimes, including illegal financing, bribery, money laundering, and influence peddling in connection with the so-called “Koldo Case.”
However, the evidence underpinning the lawsuit is raising eyebrows. The PP’s case relies heavily on two anonymous testimonies published in the media, which legal experts suggest may not hold up in court.
Anonymous testimonies at the heart of the lawsuit
The crux of the PP’s lawsuit lies in two anonymous audio recordings published by The Objective. These recordings feature an unidentified businessman who claims to have handed over cash at the PSOE headquarters on Calle Ferraz. The problem? The voice in the recordings is distorted, and the lawsuit offers no further details about who allegedly received the money or the specific financial dealings in question. This reliance on unverified and anonymous testimonies could make it difficult for the lawsuit to proceed, according to legal analysts.
In its 12-page legal submission, the PP not only targets the PSOE but also accuses businessmen Víctor de Aldama and Claudio Rivas, alongside the alleged mastermind of the Koldo Case, Koldo García. The case centres around an alleged VAT fraud scheme involving millions of euros in the fuel industry, which has already resulted in the imprisonment of the former president of Zamora CF. Despite the serious accusations, legal experts consulted by La SER believe the lawsuit may struggle to move forward without stronger evidence beyond the anonymous recordings.
Judicial hurdles and political reactions
Judge Santiago Pedraz of the Audiencia Nacional has referred the case to the Fiscalía Anticorrupción to assess whether there is sufficient basis to launch a formal investigation. However, the lack of a supporting police report and existing Supreme Court rulings suggest that more than just anonymous journalistic testimonies will be needed to justify further legal action.
Despite these potential setbacks, the PP has used the lawsuit as a platform to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Interestingly, while calling for Sánchez’s departure, the party has stopped short of proposing a motion of no confidence. Meanwhile, the PSOE has hit back, accusing the PP of hypocrisy, given its own history with corruption scandals.
PP spokesperson Borja Sémper has also called for a change to the agenda of the upcoming Congress session, requesting that the session of control be devoted entirely to examining the alleged corruption involving the PSOE and the current government.