Luis Bárcenas, the former treasurer of the ruling centre-right People’s Party, who is implicated in the Gürtel corruption scandal, was incarcerated without leave to apply for bail on June 27.
The judge in charge of the case ruled that the defendant represented a “flight risk”, following transfers to tax havens from his accounts. Bárcenas has €47 million in Swiss banks, which was allegedly obtained by collecting illegal commissions on public contracts.
El País notes the decision has brought a feeling of “fear but also relief” to the People’s Party, which is faced with the possibility of further revelations following the daily newspaper’s publication of documents proving the existence of secret accounts.
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