Valencia court favors opening Gürtel case

The Valencia regional High Court may assume jurisdiction in the Gürtel case, focusing on a host of Popular Party officials in Francisco Camps' regional government.

On Thursday, the full bench began to deliberate on whether it should take the contracts-for-bribes case from Madrid High Court Judge Antonio Pedreira, who has investigated most of the allegations regarding the Gürtel scheme, including alleged criminal acts in Valencia. Because Pedreira only has jurisdiction to prosecute officials in Madrid, he has sent a bundle of evidence, including 68 DVDs filled with allegations, to the Valencia High Court regarding PP officials who still are or were in Camps' government.

Among the criminal charges they could face are corruption, illegal campaign fundraising, bribery and public bid-rigging. The Valencia regional High Court appears to favor taking on the cases, according to sources.

The five-member bench will continue deliberating Friday and a decision is expected next week sometime after the May 22 regional and local elections, sources say.

Camps, who is running for reelection on Sunday, is already being investigated by a Valencia regional High Court judge for accepting dress suits from businessmen connected to the Gürtel network. The alleged ringleaders Francisco Correa and Pablo Crespo have been in custody awaiting trial since February 2009.

The crimes allegedly committed by PP officials, according to prosecutors, include the awarding of a contract to a company, with no experience, to handle the live television coverage of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Valencia in 2006 and illegal campaign donations given to the PP for other contracts.