Seville court quashes ERE case investigation into Socialist leaders

The Provincial Court of Seville has cancelled an investigation order against two former Andalusian Socialist premiers, on the grounds that the investigating judge, Mercedes Alaya, failed to explain what exactly they are being accused of in connection with a massive embezzlement case.

"The writ does not even summarily explain what specific facts might constitute a crime each of the aforados (person with parliamentary immunity who can only be tried by a Supreme Court) may have committed," said the provincial court in reference to Manuel Chaves, who headed the southern region between 1990 and 2009, and his successor José Antonio Griñán, who stepped down in September of this year, before the end of his mandate – some say to save the Socialist Party trouble if he was ultimately charged with wrongdoing.

Judge Alaya is investigating 20 current and former officials of the Andalusian government for their alleged involvement in the irregular manner in which a public fund to help struggling businesses was being shared out among companies and individuals who were not eligible for the aid; the so-called ERE case. As much as 140 million euros may have been misused between 2001 and 2010.

Earlier this year, a whistleblower inside the Andalusian internal audit body, the Auditoría, told the judge that officials were aware that the system was deliberately designed to award the money in a discretionary manner that bypassed control systems.

But some Socialist Party members have claimed that Judge Alaya is on a personal mission to damage the party, noting that all her high-profile accusations have coincided with major party events. Her writ against Griñán and Chaves came out on the same day that Susana Díaz took over from Griñán as the new Andalusian premier.