Spanish PM to give his 'version' of slush fund story to Parliament

After massive demonstrations throughout Spain, together with pressure from the opposition party, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday that he will appear in the Spanish Parliament to give his side of the "slush fund" story.

 

Digital Journal reported on the story of Luis Bárcenas, former treasurer to the ruling Partido Popular party, being arrested and thrown in jail without bail on fraud charges. 

 

In court recently, Bárcenas admitted that he had made cash payments to the Spanish Prime Minister from a "slush fund." Bárcenas said that he handed €25,000 ($33,000) in 500 euro notes to Rajoy in March 2010.

 

Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, leader of the opposition PSOE party then called for the “immediate resignation” of Rajoy, and warned that his refusal to stand down was causing “incalculable damage to a country that is living through difficult moments.”

 

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18J - Spaniards in 30 cities across Spain protested against Government corruption and called for Rajoy's resignation.

As Digital Journal reported, on July 18, thousands of Spaniards hit the streets in 30 cities across Spain, protesting government corruption and calling for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his government to resign. 

 

On Sunday the Spanish daily, El Mundo, published a poll which showed 89.1 percent of people surveyed thought Rajoy should answer allegations that he accepted secret payments from the PP. Only a small 2.4 percent of poll respondents didn't think Rajoy needed to offer up that explanation.

 

Rajoy has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has rejected calls for him to resign over the scandal.

 

However, it seems the pressure is now finally getting to Rajoy, and on Monday he said in a press conference that he would appear in the country's parliament to answer questions about the scandal involving alleged illegal funding of his party. Rajoy said that he would appear in Parliament to give his "version" of events relating to the slush fund scandal, under which former PP treasurer Luis Bárcenas alleges he operated a second set of books for the PP party over a period of many years.

 

However, Rajoy did not actually specify when he would appear in Parliament other than saying that this would take place either at the end of this month or next month.

 

No doubt protestations from the opposition party and the Spanish people will continue until such time as he does appear.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/354935

'I made cash payments to Spanish PM,' says Spain's Luis Bárcenas

According to judicial sources, on Monday Luis Bárcenas, former treasurer of Spain's ruling Partido Popular (PP) party, told the court that he had given secret cash payments to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy from a "slush fund."

Digital Journal reported on the arrest and jailing of the Partido Popular's ex-treasurer Luis Bárcenas recently, with no bail, as he had failed to adequately explain the money he held in Swiss bank accounts. Bárcenas was arrested and jailed after the court ruled that he was a flight risk.

 

Digital Journal further reported back in January on the major "slush fund" scandal that had emerged in Spain, where the ruling PP and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy denied that the party made payments from business donors to the PM and other party leaders.

 

Now as the court case runs in Spain's High Court, various statements are coming out which directly implicate members of government.

 

According to sources present at the hearing, who asked to remain anonymous, Bárcenas said on Monday that he handed €25,000 ($33,000) in 500 euro notes to Rajoy in March 2010.

 

One of the sources then told the media that Bárcenas then reportedly handed the court papers detailing this slush fund, and "declared that he was the author of the documents," which had been published in local newspapers showing secret payments to Rajoy in the 1990's and 2000's.

 

Yet another of the sources attending the hearing said that Bárcenas had confirmed that the money came from a secret fund, which implies that the payments were undeclared. The source stressed, "He said the whole party leadership received envelopes" of undeclared cash.

 

On Monday, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the leader of the opposition PSOE party has called for the “immediate resignation” of Mr. Rajoy, and has warned that his refusal to stand down was causing “incalculable damage to a country that is living through difficult moments.”

Rajoy, who has been in power since late 2011, has, however, ruled out resigning over the scandal. He denies any wrongdoing.

 

The latest attacks by the opposition come following the publication of several mobile phone text messages between Rajoy and Bárcenas, which were obtained by the Spanish daily El Mundo.

 

These messages show that the two men were in contact until at least March this year, which is almost two months after the scandal broke. In the last message published by El Mundo, Rajoy was apparently trying to calm down his former treasurer, saying: “Luis, I understand. Keep courage. I will call you tomorrow. A hug.” While these text messages do not prove the issue at hand, they do implicate the prime minister in the scandal.

To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/354487