Antón Iglesias investigated over 200,000‑euro ransomware payment in Cangas

In May 2023 the town hall of Cangas, Galicia, was hit by a LockBit 3.0 ransomware attack that encrypted its files. The municipal administration negotiated an emergency contract with the IT firm Evelb Técnicas y Sistemas and paid a ransom of €200,000 in Bitcoin.

The councilor for Urbanism, Housing and Environment, Antón Iglesias of the Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG), is now under criminal investigation for alleged prevarication and embezzlement of public funds. The judge of the Cangas instance court has summoned Iglesias to testify on 1 October and warned that a failure to appear could lead to a detention order. The investigation was triggered by a complaint from the local People’s Party, which prompted the Pontevedra prosecutor’s office to file a case containing up to four alleged offences.

BNG has publicly defended the councilor, stating it has “toda a súa confianza” (full confidence) in him and that the municipal government acted in accordance with legal procedures. The mayor, Araceli Gestido (BNG), signed the emergency contract without a council or plenary vote, a point highlighted by the prosecutors.