Another day, another council corruption scandal in Spain 07/11/2006 00:00

7 November 2006

GRAN CANARIA — The mayor and five councillors of a city in the Canary Islands have been arrested for corruption.

Francisco Valido and five Popular Party councillors in Telde have been linked to charging illegal 'commissions' for works.

Telde is the second biggest city on Gran Canaria and has a population of 100,000.

It comes months after the housing officer of the same council, Maria Antonia Torres, and others were arrested with regard to the same affair. 

The case came to light in March after a businesswoman claimed Torres asked her to pay a 20 percent 'commission' for permission to carry out works  in the city.

Since then, 18 people have been arrested, among them building developers and councillors.

Torres is said to be central to the alleged scandal.

She has been charged with bribery, prevarication, trafficking of influences, revealing confidential information and trying to influence the prices of public works.

The council's former water officer, Candelaria Sanchez, was also allegedly involved in the scandal. She has been  expelled from her party, Citizens for a Change.

The series of arrests have sparked two demonstrations from residents calling for the resignation of the mayor.

The protestors called for 'transparency' in government.

This is just the latest arrests in a series of scandals rocking local governments across Spain.

The most serious was the arrest of over 30 people in connection with the multi-million euro civic corruption scandal in Marbella in March.

The former mayor, head of urban planning and even the head of local police were detained and the central government in Madrid were forced to dissolve the council.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news