Former Deputy Juan Bernardo Fuentes (PSOE) Arrested in Mediator Case

The former PSOE deputy in Congress, Juan Bernardo Fuentes, was arrested this Monday and his home in Puerto del Rosario was searched at the request of the judge investigating the 'Mediator Case', police sources informed Efe.

The home search took place in the presence of Fuentes, who was arrested at 9:00 a.m. this Monday, the sources detail.

The Mediator Case investigates an alleged extortion network of companies in the livestock and food sector, and also other activities, for which thirteen people have been arrested, the last of them Juan Bernardo Fuentes, who was not arrested when the operation broke out due to his status as a person with parliamentary immunity, which he lost when he resigned from his seat in Congress.

Also arrested in the framework of this case were Taishet Fuentes, former Director General of Livestock of the Government of the Canary Islands, a position previously held by his uncle Juan Bernardo Fuentes. Both have been suspended from membership by the PSOE.

Likewise, retired Civil Guard General Francisco Javier Espinosa Navas, who was head of the Las Palmas Command a decade ago, and whom the head of the Court of Instruction Number 4 of Santa Cruz de Tenerife sent to prison, has been arrested.

In the case of Juan Bernardo Fuentes, the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands has reported that he will probably appear in court next Wednesday.

The crimes investigated in the Mediator Case are bribery, influence peddling, money laundering, document forgery and membership of a criminal organization.

The subject of the investigation is alleged extortion of companies in the livestock sector in exchange for avoiding health inspections or speeding up or unblocking European aid files.