Marcos Martínez Barazón, former President of the Diputación de León for the PP, is received by residents of the city of Cuadros after leaving prison following his arrest in Púnica in 2014.J. Casares (EFE)
The Punic operation, the corrupt network surrounding former Madrid councilor Francisco Granados, is still a major headache for the PP. Although the party avoided its biggest setback with the sacking of former regional presidents Esperanza Aguirre and Ignacio González in October, the case continues. And starting next Thursday, the National Court plans to hold the second trial of the investigation, which will see two former popular leaders and a former socialist mayor on the bench. You’re marking the way for 32 other former PP officials already charged over the various lines of inquiry into the case, a macroplot of bribery and money-diversion that’s mostly lodged itself in administrations in the hands of the Conservative formation, which also comes with a box b.
More information
Irregularities in Leon. The first trial in the Punic case was five years ago, but it wasn’t about the conspiracy itself. Then the court sentenced Francisco Granados to two years in prison for the tip he had received from a civil guard who informed the former general secretary of the PP of Madrid and a confidante of Aguirre, president of the community, of the existence of the investigation between 2003 and 2012.
Now, more than five years after this oral hearing, the National Court will really deal with the corrupt network and start with the alleged irregularities discovered in León. Starting next Thursday, the court will prosecute Marcos Martínez Barazón, former president of the Diputación for the PP and current independent mayor of the municipality of Cuadros; and Pedro Vicente Sánchez, the city councilor of the city of Puebla de Lillo, under the acronym of the people. Four other suspected plotters also sit on the bench: the former Provincial Council Inspector; Computer entrepreneur Alejandro de Pedro and his partner José Antonio Alonso Conesa, former socialist mayor of Cartagena; and an employee of De Pedro.
In this part of the synopsis – dubbed Separate Piece 2 – investigators concluded that public funds were being diverted to pay for private internet reputation work in favor of PP politicians and that an attempt was being made to manipulate the award of a ski resort in the province. Martínez Barazón, for whom the public prosecutor’s office is asking for eight years in prison, agreed to the office of President of the Provincial Council after the assassination of his predecessor Isabel Carrasco, who was shot dead in May 2014. According to the coroner, Barazón then requested the services of De Pedro, who offered jobs to improve his online reputation to “solidify” his new position as he was “discussed” by other party officials. These services were allegedly paid for with public money.
Irregular funding of the PP. Holding the irregularities trial in León, scheduled to last until December, will pave the way for another thirty senior PP officials to sit on the bench for Púnica. One of the investigative strands already closed deals with box b of the popular Madrilenians, called piece 9. Judge Manuel García-Castellón left Aguirre and González out of this part of the case, but suggested that she try directly six people linked to the conservative formation: among them with Granados; Beltrán Gutiérrez, former manager of the party in Madrid; former councilor Borja Sarasola; and Isabel Gallego, former press secretary for the former regional president. A list that is not yet complete and that could still be expanded, as resources have been presented to expand it and also include, for example, former agent Salvador Victoria.
What affects most is what happens next. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything.
Subscribe to
Beltrán Gutiérrez, former manager of the PP in Madrid Alvaro García
mayor, councilmen and a senator. The other three parts of the summary that have already been taken to court are parts 3, 6 and 7, each dealing with alleged illegalities in the province of Murcia; Irregularities in the procurement of the Waiter Music company in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, managed by José Luis Huerta, a friend of Granados; and the definition of contracts that will be awarded in the same autonomy to the energy company Cofely. In them, the presence of senior PP officials is overwhelming: in addition to Granados, there are a dozen former popular mayors; many other former Councilors, Directors General, Chiefs of Staff… and former Senator David Erguido.
David Erguido, during a Senate session in 2020 in which Minister Irene Montero spoke EUROPA PRESS/J. Hellin. POOL (European press)
Six more lines of research. This long list can get longer. There are six other parts of the Punic case for which the judge has yet to decide whether to bench anyone.
Subscribe to continue reading
read limitless