Civil Guard searches Soria town hall in investigation into alleged corruption in municipal contracts
A judicial investigation has led officers to demand documents from the Commerce department of the Castilian municipality. There are people detained both in the provincial capital of Soria and in Madrid, within the framework of proceedings that remain under judicial secrecy.
Civil Guard searches Soria town hall in investigation into alleged corruption in municipal contracts
Officers from the Civil Guard have entered the premises of Soria town hall to demand documentation concerning contracts managed by the Commerce department. In parallel, arrests have been made in the city itself and in Madrid, according to reporting by ABC.
The judicial proceedings are shielded by judicial secrecy, which limits the information available. The investigation points to possible irregularities in the awarding of public contracts during the period when the Commerce department was under the previous municipal administration.
The news has provoked considerable upheaval in local and regional political life. Carlos Martínez, who currently heads the PSOE in Castilla y León, held a leading role in the government of the municipality for twenty years. To date there is no evidence implicating him personally in the matter, although the investigation focuses on a council department from his period.
Martínez took the helm of the party in the autonomous community just a few months ago, precisely with the intention of revitalising the organisation. His extensive experience as mayor was one of his main political assets.
The case comes at a delicate moment for the socialists at national level, with several judicial fronts open that affect party posts and bodies. The intervention in Soria adds to this climate of pressure, although it is premature to draw definitive conclusions before the investigation advances and the mysteries of the proceedings are clarified.
The presumption of innocence must prevail whilst justice does not determine the facts with clarity.
Source: ABC