The Spanish leader, Mariano Rajoy, will be called as a witness in the Gurtel corruption case that is investigating a vast network involving several leaders of the Popular Party, which Rajoy leads.
The decision was approved by a majority of the three judges - two for and one against - who make up the National Court, a court specialising in political/financial and terrorism cases.
Mariano Rajoy is the first head of government in Spain to be called to testify in court and, in a process strangely similar to the investigation of Portugal's former PM José Sócrates, joins some 300 witnesses who already have been summoned in the Gurtel case.
The former Popular Party treasurer, Luís Barcenas, is a central figure in the case which involves a corrupt network run by businessman Francisco Correa, who is accused of bribing public and elected officials to help certain "friendly" companies win public contracts.
This judicial inquiry triggered the dismissal of Health Minister, Ana Mato, at the end of 2014. She was suspected benefiting from money obtained illegally by her ex-husband, Jesús Sepúlveda, the former mayor of Pozuelo, Castile-La Mancha.
Luís Barcenas, is a central figure in the scheme, and the court insisted that he explain the source of his €48 million fortune deposited in a Swiss bank account.
Francisco Correa revealed that entrepreneurs who won certain public tenders paid "2 to 3%" of the amount to officials who had ensured the deals went through.
A series of corruption scandals involving members of the popular Party contributed to the party losing its absolute majority in parliament in December 2015. Mariano Rajoy has been president of the Popular Party since 2004 and head of the Government since 2011.
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For background to the Gurtel case, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCrtel_case
Comments
But then - in countries as corrupt as these - who can a whistle blower confidently toot their whistle at ?