Scandal grips Spain’s ruling party

High Court Examining Magistrate Pablo Ruz said in a ruling on Thursday that he would launch the probe into allegations that the former PP treasurer, Luis Barcenas, held a secret record of illegal cash donations that were purportedly channeled to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other members of the party.

Ruz said evidence he had collected indicated that funds from an alleged ‘kickback scheme’ may be linked to the alleged slush fund that had been channeled out of the PP headquarters.

“The supposed connection has been proved by subjective and objective elements,” the Spanish judge wrote in the ruling.

The allegations have sparked anger among Spaniards who have to deal with high unemployment, harsh cutbacks in social welfare and an ailing economy.

In the first investigation, Barcenas had been accused of involvement in bribery, tax evasion and money laundering.

The government of Prime Minister Rajoy has been blamed for the harsh austerity measures, which has led companies to shutdown and driven the unemployment rate above 26 percent.

Corruption scandals have also hit Inaki Urdangarin, the son-in-law of Spain’s king. Urdangarin has allegedly embezzled millions of euros of public money paid to a company he managed several years ago.

According to a recent government poll, Spaniards consider corruption as the second biggest problem in the country after unemployment.

Spain’s economy collapsed into recession in the second half of 2008, taking with it millions of jobs.

MR/HSN

Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/08/292467/scandal-grips-spains-ruling-party/

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