The TSJC studies strengthening the court that investigates alleged irregularities in highway contracts

SANTANDER, 27 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Government Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Cantabria (TSJC) is studying the possible reinforcement of the Investigating Court Number 5 of Santander, which is handling the case of the alleged irregularities in the contracts of the autonomous highway service.

As reported in a statement by the TSJC, the request for reinforcement has come from the head of the court, Mercedes Compostizo, in a communication received this Monday in which she shows that her court "is processing a complex case for the alleged commission of various crimes of prevarication, bribery and fraud in contracting, among others, which, as he has pointed out, "requires numerous hours of study and dedication, with thousands of documents pending analysis and evaluation".

For this reason, the magistrate requests that a member of the judicial career be appointed to reinforce the Court, so that he can help the instructor in running the body, holding trials for minor crimes and taking charge of approximately half of the cases. the proceedings being processed.

Likewise, the Government Chamber considers requesting the Government of Cantabria to appoint an official who can assist the court manager who is in charge of processing this "complex case".

Although the TSJC statement does not specifically specify what cause it is, the petition has coincided with the case of the alleged irregularities in the contracts of the Career Maintenance Service, for which last week the head of the Service of Maintenance was arrested. Carreteras de Cantabria, M.A.D.B, in provisional prison in El Dueso; the wife of this official and several managers of the companies involved, Rucecan, La Encina, Cannor and Api Movilidad, whose passports have been withdrawn and must appear in court twice a month.

Those investigated for the alleged irregular awarding of contracts under the Ministry of Public Works of the Government of Cantabria are accused of bribery, fraud in public procurement, money laundering, prevarication and document falsification.

In addition, two other people were also arrested in Madrid, who were released that same day.

As explained a few days ago by the Tax Agency, within the alleged plot of fraud in the contracting of public works, the head of the Highway Service intervened from his status as a senior official in the preparation of offers from specific bidders, allegedly issuing a arbitrary evaluation of the subjective criteria of evaluation of offers and expelling other potential bidders.

For this, he would have negotiated prices, negotiated the terms of the tenders with concerted companies and made use of privileged information.

Through the issuance of technical reports and his participation in the contracting tables, this person would have achieved that a series of companies were awarded the contracts. In turn, the AEAT investigators detected signs of economic enrichment of the official's closest family nucleus.

According to the investigations carried out, the main person investigated in the plot, together with his family environment, would have designed a strategy to introduce the "significant amounts that he predictably received in the form of illegal commissions" into the legal circuit of money.

The governing body of judges in Cantabria will address this and other issues at the meeting that will be held on Friday, March 3, starting at 12:30 p.m.