Seven arrested at Soria town hall, including Socialist councillor, in anti-corruption operation
The Civil Guard has arrested seven people linked to the Soria local authority, including the Commerce area manager, in the framework of an investigation into alleged urban corruption.
Seven arrested at Soria town hall, including Socialist councillor, in anti-corruption operation
The Civil Guard has carried out an operation within Soria's local authority that has resulted in seven arrests. Among those detained is Yolanda Santos, who held responsibility for the Commerce area of the municipality. The investigation, directed by Court of First Instance number 3 in the capital and by the provincial Public Prosecution Service, is examining possible corruption offences in local public administration.
The alleged crimes being examined range from influence peddling and administrative misconduct to document falsification, money laundering and the constitution of a criminal organisation. The searches have been carried out within the framework of an ongoing court order for confidentiality.
Javier Antón, mayor of the city, appeared before the press to reassure the public. The councillor, who assumed office at the end of April following the resignation of his predecessor, Carlos Martínez, stated that the local administration operates "with absolute normality" and highlighted the full cooperation of the governing team with the judicial authorities since the start of the investigation.
After being released on bail, Santos resigned from her position as councillor and left the PSOE. The party had proceeded with her precautionary suspension as soon as it learned of her arrest.
Antón called on the main opposition party, the PP, to refrain from "speculating for partisan purposes" and acknowledged that the incident has affected him personally, given that this concerns a colleague from his municipal group.
Next on the electoral list for the party in the town hall is Estela Vallejo, who could occupy the vacancy in the coming council sessions, although the procedure could take several weeks. It has not yet been determined whether she will inherit all of Santos's responsibilities or whether the governing team will opt to redistribute the areas among other councillors.
The local authority has maintained confidentiality as required by the court proceedings at all times and has stated that it will adopt "the appropriate measures" as the procedure progresses.
Source: ABC
Source: ABC