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Former Spanish minister accused of corruption on Majorca
Mar 23, 2010, 11:51 GMT
Palma de Majorca, Spain - A corruption scandal hitting Spain's Balearic Islands deepened Tuesday, as a former regional prime minister was questioned by a judge and prosecutors.
Jaume Matas, 53, a former Spanish environment minister and past Balearic prime minister, was booed by a group of demonstrators as he arrived in court in Palma de Majorca.
Matas faces corruption charges related mainly to the construction of a sports complex while he governed the islands - a popular tourist destination - from 2003 to 2007.
The initial cost estimate for the sports facility doubled to about 100 million euros (135 million dollars).
Matas is suspected of having used part of the money for his personal enrichment, including the purchase of a luxury residence, and for illegal financing of his People's Party (PP).
The conservative PP, which is Spain's main opposition party, has avoided siding clearly with Matas, after having been tarnished by several corruption scandals recently.
A total of about 30 people are charged in the case known as the Palma Arena case, named after the multi-sport pavilion that hosts indoor track cycling races.
The Balearic Islands have been hit by a string of corruption scandals. In one of the most high-profile cases, regional parliament president Maria Antonia Munar recently resigned over corruption charges.
Matas and Munar have both denied the allegations against them.
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