Spain’s Supreme Court will examine a request by construction firm ACS to overturn a 2021 ruling that found it guilty of unfair competition against utility Iberdrola.
Key takeaways
- Case background: ACS was sentenced two and a half years ago for unfair competition after a media report linked it to a €2.6 billion claim against Iberdrola.
- False report: The report, later proven false, was said to have been leaked by ACS itself.
- Legal question: The Supreme Court will decide whether the alleged leak constitutes a “denigrating act” that justifies the original conviction.
- Stakeholders: Iberdrola’s chief Ignacio Sánchez Galán and ACS head Florentino Pérez have been locked in a public dispute.
- Procedural update: The court’s review follows a September 9 order that granted ACS permission to seek a new hearing.
Background of the dispute
The controversy began when a newspaper published a story that ACS was preparing a €2.6 billion lawsuit against Iberdrola in the context of the Villarejo corruption case. Iberdrola denied the claim, and ACS was later convicted of unfair competition for allegedly using the false information to damage the utility.