The Supreme Court has handed down a sentence involving a former Dragados representative who received four years and nine months in prison for defrauding the company of about 450,000 euros. The court found that non-existent works were billed in the Andalusian Parliament and at the Dos Hermanas Racecourse, while material from one project was diverted to a private chalet. The ruling confirms the Seville Court’s conviction for ongoing aggravated fraud and perjury in a related media contest, overturning JMBB’s appeal on those charges.
The Criminal Division of the Supreme Court issued its decision after reviewing evidence that supported charges of perpetual fraud tied to the solicitation and execution of fictitious contracts. The verdict also imposes prison terms ranging from one to four months for two construction managers and two other subcontractors.
Additionally, the former executive, together with other convicts, is ordered to compensate Dragados to the tune of 453,481 euros. Much of this amount will be borne by the former delegate, even though the liability may be shared jointly and severally among several parties.
Judges established that the former delegate leveraged his high rank to design and initiate a plan that steered substantial payments toward work that did not exist. The scheme was justified with contracts and invoices that appeared sound, and internal controls and audits were allegedly bypassed.
One major episode involved the Five Wounds Hospital, the seat of the Andalusian Parliament, between 2008 and 2009. In this period, the former delegate allegedly manipulated urgent repair needs to cover up minor or nonessential work, with leaks in the basement and problems with terraces or sewers prompting payments totaling 274,?251 euros to two subcontractors for costs that were later questioned.
Similar maneuvering occurred at the Dos Hermanas Great Racecourse, which the court noted had a fraudulent presence of damage to bathrooms to justify works totaling 147,138 euros during 2009.
There were also discrepancies linked to a residential project in San Roque, Cadiz, where materials were purchased and billed as if they were destined for a specific job, yet were reportedly diverted toward the construction of a private chalet in Roche, Conil de la Frontera, where the convicted individual and his wife were building property at the time.
According to the findings, the defendant owed Dragados 31,092 euros for toiletries and intended to enrich himself through improper billing. A construction manager in San Roque allegedly prepared the documentation to make materials appear as if they were used in a real promotion.
The court noted that one subcontractor warned Dragados in writing on up to four occasions that contracts signed by the former delegate did not align with actual work, highlighting the need to adjust invoicing and receipts to reflect genuine activities. In the final assessment, 62 percent of the disputed amount was attributed to those improper charges.