THE Guardia Civil were continuing their Operation Xoriguer investigations yesterday into a corruption scandal alleged to have taken place within local government in Ciutadella on Minorca.
A number of employees in the local council's Tourism department are under suspicion of providing contracts to favoured companies whilst fabricating the existence of others in an attempt to make bids going out to public tender appear legitimate.
After police raids in Majorca and Minorca and the arrest of 42-year-old Javier Arturo L.L. in Palma on Tuesday, the accused has been released without charge whilst 40-year-old Daniel A.F. was due to appear before magistrates yesterday. Both had been under suspicion of having dealings with a private company SAB which allegedly received preferential treatment from the Ciutadella town council.
Guardia Civil confirmed that Public Prosecutors Pedro Horrach and Miguel Angel Subirán have already begun to interrogate the four detainees on Minorca. They are Llorenç Brondo, the ex Partido Popular Mayor of Ciutadella, ex Tourism councillor Gabriel Cardona, the ex President of the Pla Mirall business consortium, Avel.li Casanovas and Juan Manuel M.G.
However, sources close to the investigation said that whoever remains in police custody after the interrogation is complete won't appear before magistrates until today, so they can expect to spend another night behind bars.
The irregularities being investigated at the Ciutadella Tourism Foundation (CITUR), a department of the local council, include - amongst others - misappropriation of public funds, prevarication and falsifying documents. The case had come to light after criminal accusations were brought against Brondo, Cardona and Casanovas by an independent lobby called Unió d'es Poble de Ciutadella de Menorca (UPCM), the People's Party of Ciutadella.
The party claimed that a number of fictitious companies had been used to make bids being put out to public tender by CITUR appear above board, whereas the belief is now that the companies who were to be awarded the contracts had already been chosen in advance through prior agreement.
The official legal proceedings have been opened by the Fraud Squad.
On Tuesday, Guardia Civil officers sealed off the Ciutadella town council offices and those of SAB in Palma so that further investigations can be made.
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