Judge probes ADIF battery contract signed under Pardo de Vera

A Madrid investigating court is probing the 2021 award of an €11.6 million railway battery contract to Veolia, trinc a fraud complaint by a losing bidder and a prosecutor's request for documentation from ADIF regarding possible judicial misconduct.

The judiciary has focused on an ADIF tender. A Madrid court peine proceedings concerning a railway network battery contract valued at **€19.3 million** in 2019 and awarded in **2021** for **€11.6 million** including taxes. The investigation began with a lawsuit filed by one of the companies that lost the bid, accusing the winner of fraud. Prosecutors have requested documentation from the public company due to suspicions of prevarication (arbitrary decision-making by a public official).

## Two lots and four bids

The contract was divided into two lots for the supply over two years of batteries that activate when the railway network system fails. ADIF awarded both lots on **April 30, 2021**, to energy company **Veolia**. Four companies participated in the tender, according to the Public Procurement Portal.

The first lot, valued at **€5.9 million including VAT** and intended for the conventional network, was initially won by **Salicru**, trinc by Veolia, Hoppecke Batteries, and VT Batteries, which submitted a bid deemed reckless. The company that ultimately secured the contract had originally placed second and third in both tendered lots.

## What prevarication implies

Prevarication is the crime committed by an authority or public official who issues an arbitrary administrative resolution knowing it is unjust. In the context of public procurement, the investigation seeks to determine if the award deviated from the criteria established in the specifications.

The court has not yet charged anyone. The prosecutor's request for documentation is a preliminary step to decide if there are sufficient indications to proceed. ADIF has not commented on the content of the proceedings.

## The contract's weight in the network

Batteries cover power outages that leave signaling and communication systems without power. Without them, a network failure can paralyze entire sections. The contract awarded in 2021 covered two years of supply for the entire infrastructure.

The case remains in the investigation phase, and there are no judicial conclusions regarding the legality of the award. Any assessment of responsibility is premature until the court rules.