Civil Guard raids Soria Town Hall: seven detained for municipal corruption
The Judicial Police of the Civil Guard carried out an eleven-hour search of the Soria municipal building. Among the seven arrested is the town councillor for Tourism and the Environment, Yolanda Santos.
Civil Guard raids Soria Town Hall: seven detained for municipal corruption
The Judicial Police of the Civil Guard descended on Soria Town Hall on Tuesday and remained in the building for eleven hours, according to ABC. The operation coincided with preparations for the San Juan festivities.
Seven people were arrested. The councillor for Tourism and the Environment, Yolanda Santos, spent the night in custody. The following day she appeared before a judge and was released on condition of signing in fortnightly. The remaining arrested individuals recovered their liberty without appearing before a court.
The investigation focuses on municipal contracts over the last twenty years, a period during which Carlos Martínez—now regional secretary of the PSOE—held the office of mayor. In March he stepped down to take up his seat as a regional deputy following the elections on 15 March.
The alleged offences being examined include trafficking of influence, prevarication, illegal negotiations by public officials, falsification of documents, money laundering and formation of a criminal group.
Belén Izquierdo, spokeswoman for the Popular Party in the municipal corporation, stated that the presence of the Civil Guard surprised them "in the manner, not in substance". Her party had already publicly denounced irregularities in the management of minor contracts, the division of tender processes to circumvent controls and the repeated award of works to companies linked to relatives and acquaintances.
Izquierdo highlighted that Biosfera Soria S.L., a company that could have obtained contracts from the town hall, had the participation of councillor Santos before she took office. She added that the company register for that entity appears closed, which prevents identification of its current owners.
The matter has generated parallel political controversy: Vox and the PP accuse Carlos Martínez of having been warned in advance of the raid. The socialist leader himself admitted to the press that he had prior knowledge of the date of the police operation, though he later corrected himself, claiming that the town hall itself informed him of the news that same morning. Vox has filed a complaint for the leaking of confidential information.
Source: ABC