Santos Cerdán, a senior member of the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), resigned on Thursday following corruption charges filed against him.
Cerdán, the third highest-ranking official in PSOE, stepped down from all his positions in both the parliament and the party.
This came after a judge from the Spanish Supreme Court summoned him to testify in a case involving alleged illicit benefits he may have received from government contracts.
The judge stated there is evidence suggesting Cerdán’s possible involvement in the “improper awarding” of contracts for public works in exchange for kickbacks. Such actions in Spain are classified as crimes related to organized crime groups and bribery, punishable by up to eight years in prison.
In his statement, Santos Cerdán said he was resigning to devote his time to defending his innocence.
“I have never committed any crimes nor been complicit in any crimes. I reiterate my innocence and believe that this will become clear after my testimony,” he said.
Cerdán’s resignation, as a close ally of the Spanish prime minister, could further destabilize the current government.
He came under threat following a scandal involving leaked audio recordings, which the opposition claims prove efforts to undermine the investigation into corruption allegations against Sánchez himself and his circle.
The scandal unfolded amid investigations involving the Spanish prime minister’s wife and brother, as well as members of his current and former governments.
