Gürtel chief renews plea for bail release
Francisco Correa to appeal against further two-year preventive prison ruling
A Madrid court on Wednesday is due to hear an appeal lodged by the head of the Gürtel political corruption ring, Francisco Correa, against a decision by the judge in charge of the case that he should remain in preventive prison as a flight risk.
Correa has already spent two years locked up as the prosecutors' office builds its alleged kickbacks-for-contracts case against him, and Judge Antonio Pedreira last week ordered him to be detained for a further two years. Prosecutors also fear Correa might try to destroy evidence. Correa was taken to hospital on Sunday for a heart problem and was discharged yesterday and returned to jail.
A number of associates of Correa in the alleged corruption network connected to the Popular Party have been released on bail.