Who needs Monopoly when you can play Corruptopolis?

Marina Belda, 22, a student in industrial design in the Valencia region of Spain, is hoping a game she has designed will make her some honest money.  The game, "Corruptopolis," involves figures from Spain's most notorious corruption scandals, more of which seem to crop up every day.  

The aim of the game is to take on one of these corrupt and heinous roles, with the objective of reaching the fictional city of Villa Corrupta, which sounds a little like Madrid. Unlike Monopoly or other, rather more tame, board games, players work in teams, answering questions about the various high-profile scandals that have darkened Spain's doors, including the huge Pokémon case in Galicia, and the notorious Gürtel kickbacks scheme.

Belda told the media that as she saw the new corruption cases continue to appear in the current political situation on an almost weekly basis, she got inspired to use these incidences in a more positive way. Her timing is apt, with the recent public apology by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy after two more corruption scandals reared their ugly heads, comprising of yet more back handers and the use of "secret" credit cards.

She now hopes to raise enough money (in a far more legal fashion) using crowd-funding via the Verkami website to actually produce the board game. So far Belda has raised more than €1,300 ($1,600) of the €6,500 she needs to be able to release Corruptopolis to the world.

Anyone wishing to help can visit the Verkami web page to make a donation and reap various benefits. The video below gives more detail about the corruption involved and the game itself:

 

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.”

 

YouTube

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