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UCO Arrests Almería Provincial President, Deputy and Mayor in Covid Procurement Probe

Investigators are scrutinizing alleged kickbacks linked to a €2 million PPE contract under court supervision.

Overview

  • Three senior PP officials — Javier Aureliano García, Fernando Giménez and Rodrigo Sánchez — were detained by the Guardia Civil’s UCO in an operation coordinated by Almería’s Investigating Court No. 1, with a total of five arrests reported.
  • Agents conducted searches at the detainees’ homes and at the provincial council’s headquarters as part of the ongoing inquiry.
  • The case centers on a €2.03 million 2020 contract with Azor Corporate Ibérica, whose delayed and defective deliveries led the Diputación to terminate the deal on June 1, 2021.
  • UCO reports cite alleged illegal commissions of €200,000 to €400,000 and assert that an initial penalty claim of €200,000–€300,000 was reduced to €38,000 after the then vice president’s involvement.
  • The PP of Andalusia suspended the detainees’ party membership and named Ramón Fernández-Pacheco as acting provincial leader, while Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Juanma Moreno withheld assessments and PSOE and IU demanded resignations.