The Gürtel case began with one Madrid mogul. Over the next decade, it grew into the biggest corruption investigation in Spain’s recent history, sweeping up hundreds of corrupt politicians and businessmen – and shattering its political system. By Sam Edwards
On a cold December day in 2007, José Luis Peñas received a phone call from the man he had recently betrayed. Francisco Correa, a powerful business magnate, was ringing to ask whether they could meet the following evening.
Peñas, a town councillor in a Madrid suburb, had worked with Correa for two years: they had started a political party together, to compete in local elections on an anti-corruption ticket. Peñas ran the campaign, Correa financed it. The pair were very different – Peñas was an affable bear of a man, while Correa, more than a decade older, was wiry and quick to anger – but they became close, talking almost every day, sharing confidences, dining with one another’s families. Correa’s young daughter even called Peñas Tio Pepe, Uncle Pepe.
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