Police raid on Frigiliana town hall over alleged PSOE corruption scheme
An operation by the Civil Guard has been carried out in the Málaga municipality of Frigiliana, where the mayor and six socialist councillors are being investigated for possible irregularities in public contracts.
Police raid on Frigiliana town hall over alleged PSOE corruption scheme
An operation ordered by the Court of First Instance number 1 in Torrox has placed the spotlight on the local government team of the Málaga municipality of Frigiliana. Throughout an entire day, Civil Guard officers remained in the municipal offices of this locality in the Axarquía—home to barely 3,000 residents—gathering evidence on possible offences committed by the local executive, according to ABC.
The judicial proceedings are investigating conduct that could fall under administrative abuse of power, misappropriation of public funds, irregularities in contract awards, formation of a criminal group, and undue influence. Seven people linked to the socialist municipal group, including the mayor himself, appear in the case. So far, none has been deprived of liberty, though they will have to appear before the judge when they receive a summons, with legal assistance.
The police operation began early in the day and continued well into the evening. The officers not only requested copies of invoices and contract files, but also took electronic devices—including mobile phones—to extract their data. The mayor himself confirmed to the press that town hall staff had been "photocopying all day" for the investigators.
The investigation focuses on a series of small-value contracts that, allegedly, were distributed repeatedly among a handful of companies without advertising or public tender, circumventing the legal limits for this type of contracting. The raids covered different council departments, from public services to infrastructure and sports, with the collaboration of municipal employees.
Several months ago, the opposition had already reported these practices. The spokesman for the conservative municipal group, Pedro Alcántara, publicly warned about what he described as "chained contracts explicitly prohibited by law". In his complaint, the councillor claimed that in the previous four-year term, twelve companies had received two million euros through this method, with some billing an average of over 70,000 euros annually.
The provincial federation of the socialist party issued a statement in which it said it had learned of the operation "through the media", asking for caution and offering "full collaboration" with the courts. For his part, the top leader of the conservative movement in Málaga, José Ramón Carmona, demanded the immediate resignation of those involved, arguing that "the PSOE is overwhelmed by corruption" and that the province has become "a target of socialist corruption".
Source: ABC