The National Police arrested ten people in Melilla between Monday afternoon and yesterday morning allegedly involved in the massive purchase of votes by mail in the autonomous city. Among them, Mohamed Ahmed Al-lal, member of the autonomous government and number three on the electoral list for the 28-M of Coalition for Melilla, the party of Mustafa Aberchán, already disqualified for previously resorting to this fraudulent practice.
The investigation was launched after requests for postal votes in Melilla skyrocketed. 21.21% of the electoral census (11,707 residents) requested postal suffrage, which is seven times more than the national average (2.8%). The first inquiries confirmed the existence of a plot to collect votes by mail in exchange for a financial compensation of around 100 euros. According to police sources, around 10,000 of these votes would be controlled by the network that intended to commit electoral fraud.
The National Police obtained indications that the network would have political scope and put the spotlight on Coalició por Melilla. Yesterday the police operation launched besieged the formation. One of the ten searches carried out in different parts of the city took place in one of the party headquarters; where the communication cabinet works. And among those arrested, in addition to the Minister for Districts, Youth and Citizen Participation, there is also Aberchán's son-in-law. These two arrested, according to the same sources, are the ones who would have a more relevant role within the organization. At the very least, how far the investigation goes at the moment.
The other eight detainees occupy the lowest rung of the network. Some are common criminals who have a police record for dealing small amounts of drugs. They were the collectors of the votes by mail. His function was to go "door to door" in Melilla in search of citizens with economic needs and little interest in politics. The researchers consider that the testimony of these detainees will be essential to point towards the top of the pyramid of the network. All police and judicial sources agree that the operation will have more phases.
In the searches – carried out in homes and premises in the autonomous city – allegedly stolen ballots were confiscated, documentation that will be analyzed by the agents and several amounts of cash.
After testifying before the Police, all those arrested were released pending their summons by Judge Carmen María Perles, in charge of investigating the case, which continues under secret summary. They are all accused of an alleged electoral crime and of belonging to a criminal group.
The arrests and searches raised a political dust-up in Melilla yesterday. After the police operation became public, Coalition for Melilla spoke directly of a “witch hunt” against its formation; a "persecution against an uncomfortable party" with good prospects, according to the polls. For her part, the general secretary of Podemos, Ione Belarra, took the opportunity to attack Més País, which included the formation that is in the spotlight in the Túria agreement. "It is worrying that some progressive parties have thought that these are acceptable partners with the previous ones we already knew", he pointed out.
The popular candidate for the presidency of the autonomous city, declared that the detainees "go against the foundations of democratic stability in Melilla and in Spain"
