The Spanish authorities arrested on Monday to the former official of the Santos Cerdan Socialist Party in a corruption case that is a new blow to the leftist prime minister Pedro Sánchez, judicial sources said.
The former Minister of Transportation, José Luis Ábalos, has also been involved in the investigation of bribes for public contracts, which has created the greatest political crisis that Sanchez has faced since he assumed the position in 2018.
The sources said that a judge of the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Cerdan, who has stopped smoking as the secretary of the organization of the Spanish Social Workers Party, the number three of the ruling party, since there was a “risk” that could try to flee or destroy evidence.
He is detained without bail for accusations of corruption, money laundering and criminal association, the sources said.
Cerdan denied the accusation of a hearing with the principal investigating judge on Monday, saying that he was the victim of a political plot, they said.
Sánchez has tried to distance himself and the Socialist Party of the scandal, which implies suspicions of dirty treatment in the purchase of health equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Socialist Party firmly reacted from the beginning,” said Prime Minister.
“Santos Cerdan was fired” from the party when the revelations arose, he added when asked about the case at an international conference in Seville.
A police report has said that there was evidence that includes audio recordings that suggest that Cerdan received payments in exchange for irregularly granted public contracts.
Ábalos, the former man from the right of the prime minister, and a main advisor, Koldo García, are also among the suspects directed in the investigation.
Sanchez apologized repeatedly in the case and has denied the knowledge of the alleged scheme.
But the opposition has asked the prime minister to resign.
