Fugitive ex-police chief to 'tell all'

MADRID (AFP) - Luis Roldan, the former Civil Guard chief who vanished last week as police prepared to arrest him on corruption charges, has promised to surrender in the next few days.

In an interview from his unspecified refuge, Mr Roldan told El Mundo newspaper that he intended 'to appear in the coming days before the judge' who ordered his arrest, and would then reveal all about what he called the scandal surrounding him. A warrant was issued on Friday after Mr Roldan failed to attend a Madrid court hearing on Wednesday.

He is alleged to have embezzled funds while head of the Civil Guard between 1986 and 1993, but has insisted a sudden pounds 2.4m increase in his personal wealth was due to an inheritance. He told El Mundo that he had refused to appear before the court when ordered because he did not want to 'spend eight months in prison on remand before being freed on bail'.

Mr Roldan added that he had been left with two alternatives: 'Either to shoot myself in the head or to uncover the honey-pot' and thereby all the people with whom he was linked and who 'appear to be implicated in the scandal'. He added: 'I plan to tell everything.'

The case of Mr Roldan, who has close links with Spain's Socialist government, has prompted the right-wing opposition to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister, Felipe Gonzalez.