The Central Operating Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard links Santos Cerdán with the dismissal of Pedro Saura as Secretary of State for the Ministry of Transportation and his replacement for Isabel Pardo de Vera, who until that time had been president of Adif. The Civil Guard collects in its report different messages from alleged members of the plot facing Saura for its opposition to a project in Seville.
“The fact that Santos, without holding any position in the Government, insisted on promoting the two people who had been in charge of the two of the two (Adif and DGC – General Directorate of Highway) in charge of awarding the contracts that are being studied, granting them a greater capacity of decision and even wanting to depose who had submitted obstacles in the tender of the bridge of the Centenary (Pedro Saura) is textual the UCO report.
“Having (sic) want me to remove Pedro and put Isabel and remove Julian and put Javier (Herrero) without any expansion deposed here,” Koldo García asks Cerdán in an exchange of WhatsApp on January 14, 2020.
The Civil Guard interprets that Santos Cerdán is interested in ascending Javier Herrero, who has declared a witness in the Supreme Court, and Pardo de Vera, charged in the case that is followed at the National Court. Of both, researchers write that their “participation in the alleged irregular award of public tenders would have been decisive.”
Saura, however, remained in the position until July 28, 2021. His departure occurred while that of José Luis Ábalos of the Ministry of Transport and the Secretariat of Organization of the Party. In the latter, Ábalos was replaced by Santos Cerdán while the position of 'number two' of the Ministry went on to occupy Isabel Pardo de Vera.
