MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish police on Tuesday detained a man linked to a murder attempt on the former head of Spain’s conservative People’s Party in Catalonia on Nov. 9, news website El Confidencial reported.
The man, a Spanish national, was under police surveillance for several days before his arrest, El Confidencial reported, citing sources close to the investigation. Police are looking into whether he has links with foreign countries.
The police were not immediately able to confirm the report.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras was shot in the face on a sidewalk in the wealthy neighbourhood of Salamanca in central Madrid at 1:30 p.m. by a gunman wearing a helmet who fled on a motor bike.
The 78-year-old conservative politician survived the attack as the bullet passed through his jaw but he is reportedly still in hospital.
An anti-terrorism court is in charge of case investigation. The court spokesperson was not immediately able to comment.
Vidal-Quadras is former head of the centre-right People’s Party (PP) in Catalonia and a founder of Spain’s far-right Vox party. He also served as European Parliament vice-president between 2009 and 2014.
He has been a staunch ally of the Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which blamed the Iranian regime for the attack.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro)
