Reuters reported on 27th October that Spanish police have arrested 51 people as part of a graft investigation involving local government construction contracts, the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
The investigation, “Operation Punica” — centred around town halls mainly in the regions of Madrid, Murcia, Leon and Valencia — is one of numerous corruption scandals that have hit Spain’s mainstream political parties and many bankers in recent months.
“The collusion between local councillors and civil servants, with builders and energy service companies, and the corruption of middle-men and key companies, has helped them to secure contracts worth around 250 million euros ($300 million) in the last two years alone,” the prosecutor said in a statement.
A judicial source said one of those arrested was Francisco Granados, a former conservative deputy president of the Madrid region who resigned in February after it was revealed he had millions of euros in a Swiss bank account.
Information from Switzerland has helped Operation Punica, and investigators have issued search warrants on 259 properties, 400 banks, companies and insurers, blocked current accounts and assets and embargoed 30 vehicles. (Reporting by Raquel Castillo; Writing by Paul Day; Editing by Sarah Morris and Louise Ireland)
Comment
Excellent, robust, anti-corruption work by the Spanish police.
- Covid-19: CIVIL PROTECTION COMMISSION PORTO PROPOSES CURFEW FOR DISTRICT
- Covid-19 Hospitalisations and ICU Forecast by Minister of Health
- Lessons for the future that DGS learned from Formula 1 – “We have to restrict events a lot”
- Covid-19 Rapid Testing Starts on 9th November
- Crime Prevention and Enforcement Report 26th October 2020
- Fortnightly Crime Prevention and Enforcement Report 26th October 2020
- Government confirms maximum capacity of 27,500 people at the Portuguese F1 GP
- Covid-19 Prime Minister – Return to State of Emergency not on the table
- PORTUGAL BUDGET PROPOSAL TO BE PASSED TO PARLIAMENT TODAY
- Portugal and Spain approve common border strategy
- Fortnightly Crime Prevention and enforcement Report
- SPANISH POLICE DISMANTLE NETWORK THAT DISTRIBUTED PAEDOPHILE MATERIAL FROM PORTUGAL
- The water reserves in the Algarve are sufficient to ensure public supply
- Fire data during the Critical Fire Period 2020
- Seventeen migrants from the group that landed in the Algarve flee from barracks in Tavira – SEF
