Murcia, Spain .- The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy acknowledged Saturday that the case of the former director IMF chief Rodrigo Rato, arrested last Thursday, “specially affected” his party, the PP (center right).
Rato, who was finance minister from 1996 to 2004 and leader and member of PP for years, is being investigated by course money laundering, fraud and hoist (concealment) of goods after they were accepted in 2012 to a tax amnesty adopted by the Government of Rajoy and the Treasury detect irregularities in the origin of money, Efe reported.
The case of Rato has created a stir in Spain, because it is a politician who has held significant positions, also was president of the entities Caja Madrid and Bankia- and their own colleagues PP praised for years.
The Rajoy himself admitted in a statement to reporters in Murcia (east), where he said Rodrigo Rato was within his party, one of his “most important asset”.
But he said that all Spaniards are equal before the law and that the case of Rato “has absolutely nothing to do “with the tax amnesty of 2012, but is derived from” normal activities “of the tax.
” From now on we will be what they say the Tax Office, the Attorney General and Justice, and the Government will ensure the independence (of these agencies), as it always has, “said the chief executive.
Although Rato is investigated in other cases linked to the management which made Caja Madrid and Bankia in 2011 and 2012 his arrest and forced into a police car has occupied the front pages of the Spanish press and the headwaters of the image information.
This comes five weeks of a municipal and regional elections (May 24) on which the polls predict a decrease of citizens support the candidates of the PP, which could result in loss of local power.
Some PP leaders have expressed in the past two days the fear that many corruption cases and the case of Rato (although he left the party membership last October) may damage the electoral prospects.
As for the procedural status of Rato, following his arrest a few hours on Thursday listed as investigated for fraud, concealment of assets and money laundering and a judge has ordered the blocking of all current accounts, deposits, funds and loans title to his name, as well as companies related to it.
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