The investigation of the vote by mail in Mojácar includes a City Hall official who would have bought for the PP

The investigation into the purchase of votes in Mojácar (Almería) has taken a turn that further clouds the political environment in the municipality. The judge investigating the plot has decided to open a separate piece of the case to clarify whether the PP was also maneuvering illegally to get votes in exchange for money or perks.

The magistrate has accused a City Hall official affiliated with the PP for allegedly buying votes for this party, as EL MUNDO has learned from sources of the investigation.

He was one of the people called to testify by the judge who, last Saturday, pointed out to the official. The agents summoned him and verified that he had a judicial requisition, for which he was arrested.

According to the same sources, the plot not only offered between 100 and 200 euros for the purchase of the vote, but also offered work and improvements in certain hotel licenses.. In total, the same sources indicate, 110 people have testified. A good part of it would have sold their vote.

The head of the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 4 of Vera has agreed today to lift the secrecy of the proceedings opened as a result of the alleged fraud by the PSOE in the vote by mail investigated Mojácar. This means that the parties involved in the case will be able to have access to the proceedings carried out up to now and not only the public prosecutor's office, as has been the case since the beginning of the investigation.

A total of eleven people are being investigated in the case, since the first ten have been joined by another one who was also arrested. Of the total investigated, eight were arrested and in that condition they were brought to justice while the remaining three are still pending to be summoned by the judicial body.

The eighth detainee is also being investigated for the alleged commission of an electoral crime, but the investigation opened against him has materialized in the opening of a separate piece within the criminal proceedings initiated, given that his alleged actions would have benefited the PP and not the PSOE. as supposedly the rest of those involved would have carried out. Although the Investigating Court also agreed to his provisional release after invoking his right not to testify, however, the judge agreed to his imprisonment in compliance with a requisition issued by a Criminal Court of Almería for events unrelated to this investigation. .

On the other hand, the head of the Court of Vera 4 agreed in previous days to withdraw a certain number of vote-by-mail envelopes so that the Police could carry out investigative proceedings within the case.. The votes were deposited in the ballot boxes and only the empty envelopes were collected.

The head of the Investigating Court number 4 of Vera has agreed, on the other hand, to refer to the Dean of the Courts of this judicial district the complaint presented by the PSOE party against the PP of the town of Mojácar for an alleged case of fraud in the vote. The complaint will be adjudicated to a Vera Court in the coming days for the investigation to continue.

Double denunciation of fraud in Carboneras

On the other hand, the Investigating Court 4 of Vera has ordered the Civil Guard to investigate an alleged case of electoral crime in the municipality of Carboneras (Almería), where the PSOE has denounced the PP for its alleged involvement in buying votes. Apart from this complaint, with which a recording is provided and which was filed by the PSOE on the 25th, the Civil Guard has processed a second complaint filed by Ciudadanos this Monday and in the same vein.

Sources in the case have indicated to Europa Press that CS's complaint relates an incident that occurred at a municipal polling station in which a person, whom he identifies, would have recognized in the presence of representatives and candidates from other parties, as well as an agent of the Local Police and the members of the table, who “had given him 50 euros in exchange for his vote”.

Both complaints, those of the PSOE and that of Ciudadanos, point to the PP. The recording provided by the coal socialists is of a telephone call in which supposedly the brother of one of the 'popular' candidates, would address one of the PSOE councilors in the City Hall “assuring that the candidate for mayor for the PP , Felipe Cayuela, is buying votes”.

According to the complaint reported by the PSOE, it would have been on May 18 when a brother of the PP candidate – who also appears in the Ciudadanos complaint – contacted the socialist councilor through Facebook messaging. In the content of his message, “after identifying himself by name”, he would have offered him “three votes, which are being bought this year at 100 euros each”.