The Civil Guard has been deployed early today in Mojácar (Almería) to dismantle an organization allegedly dedicated to buying votes by mail for the PSOE ahead of the local and regional elections next Sunday, as confirmed to EL MUNDO sources close to the investigation. So far, there are seven people arrested and two of them, indicate the same sources, are on the list of the socialists. It is number two and number five of the PSOE in this Almería municipality.
Last Friday, the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, wrapped up the socialist candidate in that town, Manuel Zamora, at a rally in Mojácar. According to the local press then reflected, the minister cheered Zamora saying: "You are going to be the mayor." Bolaños encouraged the candidate to campaign in the streets "with his head held high, clear eyes and a socialist heart."
The operation this morning is being carried out by agents of the Civil Guard and the Central Operating Unit (UCO). A dozen records have been carried out so far.
The open operation is based on a complaint against an alleged electoral fraud carried out by an individual who would have been affected by the alleged plot that, according to the first indications, would reach an "indeterminate number of votes."
The investigation is coordinated by the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 4 of Vera (Almería), which has agreed to decree the secrecy of the proceedings, according to sources in the case.
In Mojácar, the PP governs with an absolute majority after the last municipal elections of 2019, when it obtained eight of the 13 councilors that make up the Plenary with 1,692 votes, while the PSOE obtained five of them, with 1,145 ballots. In total, 2,990 votes were cast, 71.26% percent of the census, reports Europa Press.
This operation in Mojácar occurs one day after the National Police arrested ten people in Melilla also for alleged vote buying.
On Tuesday, agents of the National Police carried out a dozen searches and arrests in the autonomous city for their relationship with the alleged plot to steal votes by mail that is being investigated by a court. Among the people arrested is the counselor of the Coalition for Melilla (CPM) and number three of the party, Mohamed Ahmed Al Lal.
Abdel-ilah Nourdine Ahmed, son-in-law of Mustafa Aberchán, the CPM leader, was also arrested in that operation. Both were released after giving a statement.
In the alleged purchase of votes in Melilla, the investigations are focused on determining whether the network could have tried to bribe Post Office officials to turn a blind eye to the fraudulent issuance of these ballots. Specifically, the agents are investigating whether an attempt was made to buy Post Office staff so that they could take these votes from Melilla for next Sunday's elections and then distribute them to other offices in northern Spain and from there to the polling stations.
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