Former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos was taken to Soto del Real prison on Thursday following a ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court ordering his pre-trial detention over a corruption scandal that has embroiled Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s left-wing government.
The court said Abalos, a senior member of the ruling Socialist Party, posed a flight risk, making pre-trial detention necessary. He, along with his aide Koldo Garcia and a businessman, is accused of rigging public contracts for medical supplies, including face masks, during the COVID-19 pandemic while he was in office. Both Abalos and Garcia deny any wrongdoing. In a related development, the Supreme Court ordered on Wednesday the provisional release of former senior Socialist Party official Santos Cerdan, citing a reduced risk of evidence tampering amid the ongoing corruption investigation. Cerdan, who was remanded in custody in June, faces potential charges including involvement in a criminal organisation, bribery and influence-peddling linked to kickbacks for awarding public works contracts. Speaking to journalists after leaving Soto del Real prison, Cerdan said he hoped “the truth will prevail and that, in the end, justice will be done.” The case against Cerdan is the most serious in a series of scandals dogging Spain’s Socialist-led left-wing minority government, which forced Prime Minister Sanchez to apologise in June and fend off calls from opponents for a snap election. In a separate Supreme Court case, anti-corruption prosecutors are seeking 24 years’ imprisonment for Abalos, the Socialist Party’s former organisational secretary, in connection with the same COVID-19 medical contracts. The court noted it had secured information “that would very likely have been concealed or would have been very difficult to access” if Cerdan had remained free. Under the court’s conditions, Cerdan must surrender his passport, report to the Supreme Court every 15 days, and remain in Spain. The court added that there was no risk of a repeat offence since Cerdan no longer holds public office or party leadership positions.
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Brazil’s Senate has approved a bill that could sharply reduce the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a move that is expected to face strong opposition from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Supreme Court.
As Türkiye seeks to play a more active diplomatic role in the South Caucasus, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's “symbolic steps” in the region are becoming a point of focus.
A rare pair of bright-green Nike “Grinch” sneakers worn and signed by the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant have gone on public display in Beverly Hills, ahead of an auction that could set a new record for sports memorabilia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling on European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels to approve the use of billions of euros from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs.
Cambodia must be the first to declare a ceasefire in the ongoing border conflict, Thailand said on Tuesday (16 December), as fighting continued despite earlier claims that hostilities would stop and at least 52 people have been killed on both sides.
The latest clashes between Thailand and Cambodia mark a dangerous escalation in one of Southeast Asia’s oldest and most sensitive disputes.
In the complex world of international diplomacy, the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan have raised significant questions about the role of third-party mediation.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is visiting the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, 17 December, as the two countries seek to further strengthen their partnership.
Citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, are being banned from travelling to the U.S. from the 1st of January next year. President Donald Trump made the annoucement on Tuesday (16 December) now has a total of 39 countries banned from entering the States.
International oil prices rose sharply on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete blockade” of all U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling on European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels to approve the use of billions of euros from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs.
Brazil’s Senate has approved a bill that could sharply reduce the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a move that is expected to face strong opposition from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Supreme Court.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has greenlit a landmark energy agreement that will see Israel export natural gas valued at approximately $35 billion to Egypt.
A sweeping $901 billion defence policy bill has been approved by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to sign it into law.
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