The arrest of Antxon Alonso Egurrola has once again placed his name at the center of an investigation that mixes public contracts, political connections and a high-risk business network.
His arrest takes place within the case which is being investigated by the Audiencia Nacional for alleged bribery and kickbacks linked to contracts awarded by SEPI’s agencies. In this same operation have been arrested the former Socialist militant Leire Díez and the former Chairman of the state-owned organization Vicente Fernández Guerrero, which shows the institutional dimension of the case.
Antxon Alonso: a businessman in the orbit of the “Cerdán case”.
Alonso is no stranger to investigators. His name already appeared in the proceedings of the so-called Cerdán case, due to his role as a partner in Servinabar 2000, a company with practically no activity that, nevertheless, obtained relevant public awards.
The suspicions focus on whether these concessions were linked to political influences in Navarre during the period when Santos Cerdán, a socialist leader and personal friend of Alonso, had a prominent role in the Socialist Party of Navarre (PSN).
The Audiencia Nacional is examining whether there was a network designed to benefit from public contracts through irregular commissions. In this scheme, Servinabar appears as a central piece.
Contracts under scrutiny: seven awards in Navarre
Servinabar 2000 SL and another company linked to Alonso, Alegure SL, won at least seven public contracts in Navarra. They often did so in joint ventures with large construction companies, including Acciona, which allowed them to move significant amounts of money.
The contracts under investigation were awarded during a period of strong socialist influence in the region. According to the preliminary reports, Alonso’s company did not have sufficient structure or activity to justify the volume of awards obtained.
A business network with more than 20 corporate offices
Far from being limited to the construction sector, Antxon Alonso has held up to 20 positions in 14 different companies. His activity covers areas such as:
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Mining, through its participation in the Muga Mine Project with the company Geoalcali.
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Real estate, through the foundation of a housing cooperative in 2015 together with former ministerial advisor Koldo García, investigated in the Koldo case.
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Vending and other complementary businesses, which complete a diversified business profile that is difficult to justify in terms of real capacity.
This patchwork of activities has been interpreted by researchers as a network designed to diversify income and facilitate financial movements.
A businessman with cross-cutting political ties
Alonso also stands out for his ability to move in different political spaces. Known in environments close to the PNV and Geroa Bai, he also acted as mediator between leaders of the PSOE and the nationalist left.
The leader of EH Bildu himself, Arnaldo Otegi, acknowledged at the time that Alonso served as an intermediary to establish contact with Santos Cerdán, facilitating discreet meetings between the two formations. This role as political liaison adds a new page to his profile and multiplies the unknowns about the purpose of his relations and business.
Precautionary measures and previous judicial situation
Prior to his recent arrest, Antxon Alonso remained at large, although he was subject to a series of precautionary measures that reflected investigators’ concerns about his potential flight risk.
The Audiencia Nacional had withdrawn his passport and required him to appear in court twice a month, specifically on the 1st and 15th, as part of the proceedings related to the so-called Cerdán case.
These restrictions were due to his involvement in an alleged network of irregular awards in Navarra. However, his procedural situation has taken a turn with the new operation related to public contracts under suspicion in agencies which depend on SEPI.
Alonso’s arrest in this context opens a more complex judicial scenario, in which both investigations (until now separate) could converge and aggravate his criminal responsibility.
