Council chief named by judge in Madrid Arena investigation resigns

The Madrid city councilor who was named this morning as an official suspect in the investigation into the deaths of four young women at a Halloween party has resigned. Pedro Calvo, who was the economy chief for the council and thus the head of the department responsible for renting out the Madrid Arena venue where the tragedy happened, handed in his notice at midday on Tuesday.

According to a press release from the Madrid city council, Calvo “has taken this decision given that, as economy chief, he has occupied since January 2012 the non-executive presidency of the public company Madrid, Espacios y Congresos,” the firm that manages Madrid Arena.

Three girls died at the Halloween party in the early hours of November 1, after being crushed by a crowd that formed in one of the corridors of Madrid Arena, apparently after someone let off a firework in the crowded venue. A fourth girl later died in hospital, while a fifth victim is still receiving treatment for her injuries. Police and the courts are investigating whether the promoters of the party sold tickets in excess of the 10,600 capacity of Madrid Arena and whether youngsters managed to enter without tickets.

Calvo was a Madrid regional deputy between 1991 and 2003, and was also a senator between 1995 and 1999. Between 2003 and 2012 he was safety and mobility chief in the city council, and at the beginning of 2012 took on the role of economy chief as well as being made spokesperson for the Popular Party in the council.