Ex-number 2 of Esperanza Aguirre, six mayors arrested in police op against corruption

On Monday Spain's Guardia Civil arrested Francisco Granados, ex-number 2 of Esperanza Aguirre (1) in the Madrid region and ex-secretary general of the PP in Madrid, in an anti-corruption operation. According to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor 51 people have been arrested in Madrid, Valencia, Murcia, and Castilla-León. Among those in custody are six mayors from the Madrid region: Valdemoro, Collado Villalba, Parla, Torrejón de Velasco, Casarrubuelos, and Serranillos del Valle. Also arrested was the president of the Council of León, Marcos Martinez, who took over from Isabel Carrasco, murdered in May.

In a statement, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor indicated that this is part of an operation against "a web of municipal and regional corruption that has infiltrated various city and regional councils". The police believe that the network benefitted certain construction companies that were awarded public works projects, and speak of "collusion" between civil servants, councilors, and businessmen. Over the past two years, these projects could have amounted to €250 million, in exchange for "payment of illegal commissions".

The principal arrestees are:

* Francisco Granados (PP). He was vice-president of the Madrid region, secretary general of the Madrid PP, and right hand of Aguirre. He was also mayor of Valdemoro. Swiss authorities revealed in 2012 that the PP leader had had an account with 1.5 million euros in Switzerland since 1999. Esperanza Aguirre removed him from her inner circle in 2011 [You can read his profile here: Granados, the man whom Aguirre brushed aside as a preventive measure].

* Marcos Martinez (PP), president of the Council of Castilla-Leon and mayor of Cuadros.

* José Carlos Boza (PP), mayor of Valdemoro.

* José Maria Fraile (PSOE), mayor of Parla.

* Agustin Juárez (PP), mayor of Collado Villalba.

* Gonzalo Cubas (PP), mayor of Torrejón de Velasco.

* David Rodríguez Sanz (PP), mayor of Casarrubuelos.

* Antonio Sánchez Fernandez (Democratic Union of Madrid- UDMA), mayor of Serranillos del Valle.

The Guardia Civil has also searched the Móstoles City Council, but it is not yet known if there have been any arrests.

Five of the six mayors from the Madrid regions had only 3 years in office, except the mayor of Parla, who was elected in 2008. The PP has already suspended the membership of the three mayors from their party. The PSOE has also suspended the mayor of Parla and the ex-mayor of Cartagena, José Antonio Alonso, also arrested in the operation.

The operation was ordered by National Court judge Eloy Velasco, who also ordered the search of businesses and private homes, and the arrest of several people in the construction business accused of paying money in return for political favors. The investigation was put into motion thanks to international cooperation. In January, Swiss authorities created an investigatory commission for "serious suspicion of money laundering".

In addition to the arrests and searches, 400 requests have been made to banks and insurance companies to block accounts and prevent movement of capital. They have also seized 30 luxury cars from the principal subjects of the investigation.

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1 N.T. Esperanza Aguirre is the former president of the Madrid region.