OVIEDO, Spain

The Spanish prime minister’s former right-hand man was sent to prison Monday on charges related to corruption.

Santos Cerdan, a former high-ranking member of Spain’s Socialist Party and a member of parliament until he was ousted less than three weeks ago, is accused of bribery, belonging to a criminal organization and influence peddling.

The investigating judge said kickbacks Cerdan allegedly received from state-commissioned projects could exceed €5 million ($5.9 million).

He also suggested Cerdan may have led the organization responsible for the alleged corruption.

Former Spanish Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and his ex-advisor Koldo Garcia Izaguirre are also indicted in the scheme.

Garcia recorded conversations related to the alleged corruption, some of which have been released by the Spanish media.

During his court testimony Monday, Cerdan said the conversations were taken out of context and described the case as political persecution.

Unlike Abalos and Garcia, the judge ruled that Cerdan should be imprisoned while awaiting trial due to the risk of evidence tampering.  

Calls for snap elections over scandal

After a police report and recordings surfaced earlier this month suggesting Cerdan’s role, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez issued a public apology.

However, he has so far resisted growing calls to hold snap elections over the scandal.

Speaking from Seville on Monday, Sanchez said his “party did what it had to do” by ousting Cerdan.

“Now it's time for the courts to establish responsibilities,” he added.

The opposition, however, is not satisfied with Sanchez’s response.

“The person Sanchez personally chose as his number two six months ago is today off to prison,” Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said Monday. “If that doesn’t call for a resignation and an election, it means Sanchez has completely lost touch with reality.”