18 businessmen and former CDC representatives arrested for alleged irregular funding of the party

The Spanish Guardia Civil searched this Thursday the headquarters of three Catalan companies, the Barcelona Port Authority, Infrastructures.cat and Barcelona Infrastructures (BIMSA) as part of ‘Operation Pika’ which is investigating alleged irregular funding of former CDC, now renamed as the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT). Barcelona Port president, Sixte Cambra, was arrested together with former CDC treasurer, Andreu Viloca, who was arrested in 2015 as part of the same investigation, two former representatives from CDC, Antoni Vives and Francesc Sánchez and 14 other businessmen. The operation, which carried out more than 20 searches throughout Catalonia, is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged irregular financing of the party, to find out whether companies paid a 3% commission to the CDC foundation in exchange for public contracts.

 

Two 'Guardia Civil' officers this morning at BIMSa headquarters, in Barcelona (by ACN)
Two 'Guardia Civil' officers this morning at BIMSa headquarters, in Barcelona (by ACN) / ACN

ACN

February 2, 2017 12:34 PM

Barcelona (CNA).- The President of Barcelona’s Port, Sixte Cambra, was arrested this Thursday by Spanish Police for allegedly contributing to former CDC’s irregular funding. The operation is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged irregular financing of CDC, now renamed as the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) to find out whether companies paid a 3% commission to the CDC’s satellite foundations in exchange for public contracts. The Guardia Civil searched the headquarters of three Catalan companies, the Barcelona Port Authority, Infrastructures.cat and Barcelona Infrastructures (BIMSA) and arrested former CDC treasurer, Andreu Viloca, who was arrested in 2015 as part of the same investigation, two former representatives from CDC, Antoni Vives and Francesc Sánchez and 14 others. Other searches were carried out in 12 other towns around Catalonia and more arrests are expected.


Although the detentions were made during the searches but not under court orders, sources close to the investigation told the CNA that 4 of those who have been arrested are already under police custody. They are former CDC treasurer, Andreu Viloca, former general director of Inrastructures.cat, Josep Antoni Rosell and two other businessmen, Xavier Tauler, linked to Copisa, and Josep Manel Bassols, from Oproler Catalunya.

The operation is investigating whether companies paid several foundations related to CDC in exchange for public contracts and is led by the same magistrates’ court which investigated the so-called ‘Operation Petrum’. This ongoing operation is investigating whether public contracts were offered to companies in exchange for paying a 3% commission to CDC satellite foundations. In particular, ‘Operation Pika’ is investigating Barcelona Port’s expansion and the construction of some bike lanes in Barcelona.

Part of the ‘Petrum’ investigation

In the first phase of the investigation, in July 2015, Spanish police arrested Jordi Sumarroca, CEO of Teyco and son of one of the founders of CDC, Carles Sumarroca, and two other members of his family. Officers also arrested the former mayor of the town of Torredembarra, Daniel Massagué.

In October 2015, the Spanish Guardia Civil again searched CDC headquarters and arrested its treasurer, Andreu Viloca, together with 7 businessmen accused of having allegedly paid irregular commissions to the party in exchange for public contracts.