13 arrested in real estate corruption case
Saturday, February 28, 2009 @ 11:38 AM
MADRID - Spanish police arrested the mayor of a small town and 12 other people in a real estate fraud case involving home sales to foreigners.
The Interior Ministry says the Socialist mayor of Alcaucin in southern Malaga province allegedly accepted bribes to allow construction of homes in nonresidential areas.
The ministry said in a statement that those arrested Friday included real estate promoters, members of the mayor's family and two architects.
Corruption has become a major issue before regional elections Sunday in the Basque region and Galicia in the northwest.
One probe has implicated members of the conservative opposition Popular Party. The opposition has in turn accused the government of putting pressure on the judiciary.
Source: MSNBC