Spanish judge orders remand in jail for PM's ex-ally in graft probe
MADRID (Reuters) -A Spanish Supreme Court's investigating judge on Monday ordered remand in custody for ex-senior ruling Socialist party official Santos Cerdan in a corruption inquiry that could destabilise Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's fragile minority government.
The court said there would be no bail for Cerdan.
The Cerdan case was the latest and most serious in a series of scandals that have left Sanchez having to apologise and fend off calls from opponents for snap elections.
Judge Leopoldo Puente is investigating allegations against Cerdan, former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and the latter's aide Koldo Gacia that they received kickbacks for awarding public works contracts.
Cerdan, who resigned earlier this month from his position as the Socialist Party's third-ranking official and lawmaker, denies the charges.
His resignation followed Puente's statement citing "strong evidence" of Cerdan's possible involvement in the "improper awarding" of contracts.
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo, editing by Andrei Khalip and Aislinn Laing)
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