Madrid Judge Summons Santos Cerdán for False Testimony

The Juzgado de Instrucción 24 de Madrid has officially summoned Santos Cerdán to provide testimony on February 5. The proceedings are being led by Magistrate Lidia María Paloma Montaño and focus on allegations of false testimony provided during Senate hearings.

This summons is the result of a complaint filed by the organization Hazte Oír which was accepted by the court in October. Cerdán, a former Secretary of Organization for the PSOE, is also the subject of separate investigations by the Supreme Court regarding bribery allegations related to public contract awards.

The Juzgado de Instrucción 24 de Madrid has formally called Santos Cerdán to appear for questioning on February 5. The proceedings are being conducted under the authority of Magistrate Lidia María Paloma Montaño.

The court is investigating a potential delito de falso testimonio (crime of false testimony). This alleged offense reportedly took place during Cerdán's statement to the Senate commission tasked with investigating the Koldo case. The judge's decision to move forward with this testimony follows a procedural step taken in the previous October.

The legal initiative stems from a formal complaint lodged by the group Hazte Oír. This complaint targeted the former deputy and ex-Secretary of Organization for the PSOE. By admitting the complaint to the docket in October, the court paved the way for the current investigation into Cerdán's conduct.

The specific focus of the inquiry is the veracity of the testimony provided by Cerdán during the Senate's investigative proceedings. The court is tasked with determining whether the statements made under oath were accurate or if they constituted a legal violation.

This case represents only one facet of the legal challenges facing Santos Cerdán. He remains imputado (formally named as a suspect) in other ongoing inquiries. These separate investigations are currently being handled by the Tribunal Supremo.

The Supreme Court investigations center on different allegations entirely. Specifically, they look into the alleged receipt of illicit payments, often referred to as mordidas or kickbacks. These payments are suspected to have been exchanged for the favorable awarding of public contracts.

Several key entities and individuals are central to these proceedings:

• Lidia María Paloma Montaño: The Magistrate presiding over the Madrid court.
• Santos Cerdán: The former PSOE official and current subject of the investigation.
• Juzgado de Instrucción 24 de Madrid: The specific court handling the false testimony case.
• Senado: The legislative body where the alleged false testimony occurred.
• Hazte Oír: The organization that filed the initial complaint triggering the investigation.