WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A mysterious Polish multi-millionaire who fled Poland after being convicted of secretly recording politicians in swanky restaurants is in a Spanish prison awaiting extradition after being captured last week.

Marek Falenta was sentenced to 2½ years of prison for organizing the illegal secret recordings of top Polish politicians in expensive Warsaw restaurants in 2013 and 2014.

Falenta recently fled Poland. Spanish police said they and their Polish colleagues arrested him on Friday in Cullera, a coastal town near Valencia.

A scandal sparked by the recordings contributed to the 2015 defeat of a pro-European Union government and the election of a populist right-wing party that has since eroded the independence of the judiciary, the right to assembly and media freedom.