AN ELECTORAL nightmare came true for the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Felipe Gonzalez, yesterday when Spain's Supreme Court detailed three criminal charges against a former minister stemming from a 1980s "dirty war on ETA rebels.
Just six weeks before an election the ruling Socialists were expected to lose in any case after 13 years in power, the court announced it would try Mr Gonzalez's first interior minister, Mr Jose Barrionuevo, for involvement in the 1983-87 campaign against the Basque separatists.
The case against Mr Barnonuevo stems from the 1983 kidnapping in southern France of Mr Segundo Marey, a businessman mistaken for an ETA member.
Legally, the indictment means Supreme Court investigating Mr Eduardo Moner, has justice, found enough evidence to warrant a full trial on the three charges listed kidnapping, misuse of public funds and association with an outlawed armed group.
Politically, the indictment brings the charges closer to Mr Gonzalez than ever before a campaign gift for the opposition and its leader, Mr Jose Maria Aznar. Opinion polls say he will win the March election to become Spain's next prime minister.
"No one can possibly think. .. that the head of the government did not know of all this" Mr Azrtar told a conference after the indictment was published. "It's just not possible."
So far, Mr Gonzalez and his Socialist Party have remained unflinchingly supportive of Mr Barrionuevo, but yesterday's charges brought far worse news than they expected. Instead of limiting the indictment to a charge of "illegal detention" as predicted, Mr Moner decided to include two more counts, making a direct link between the government and the Anti Terrorist Liberation Groups (GAL) a front for security forces and hired gun men who killed 27 people in the "dirty war".
Mr Gonzalez and his party deny having had anything to do with the secret war, despite testimony by former security chiefs, covert agents and even disgruntled Socialist leaders.
