Courtesy of Mish.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in in the battle of his life following additional revelations by Spain’s former treasurer that Rajoy personally received undeclared cash payments.
Let’s start this start this story with a flashback snip from my February 4 report Ledger Book Shows Rajoy Received 35 Payments Totaling €322,231; Rajoy’s Incredulous Denial; Anger Rises.
“This is all false. I’m not in politics for money. I have never received undeclared money” said Rajoy.
Adding fat to the denial fire, accounting books allegedly written and kept by Luis Bárcenas, the former PP treasurer, implicate Rajoy personally, to the tune of €322,231.
Bárcenas’ curious “atom bomb” defense was that the books were phony. Yet Bárcenas’ promised to set off a political “atom bomb” if convicted.
My comment in February was: “If everyone is innocent, then it is logically impossible to set off a political bomb of any size, let alone an atom bomb. Simply put, the denials do not add up.“
Opposition Calls for Resignation of Rajoy
Yesterday, the opposition called for “immediate resignation” of Mr Rajoy
Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the leader of the opposition Socialists, called for the “immediate resignation” of Mr Rajoy, and warned that his refusal to stand down was causing “incalculable damage to a country that is living through difficult moments”. His call was echoed by other opposition leaders. The Socialists also declared that they would no longer co-operate with the Rajoy government, only weeks after the two sides issued a joint declaration setting out Spain’s interests ahead of the June European summit.
The Socialists also declared that they would no longer co-operate with the Rajoy government, only weeks after the two sides issued a joint declaration setting out Spain’s interests ahead of the June European summit.
The latest attacks on the government follow the publication of several mobile phone text messages that were sent between Mr Rajoy and Luis Bárcenas, the former PP party treasurer who allegedly operated a slush fund that made under-the-table payments to top party leaders, including to Mr Rajoy himself.
Mr Bárcenas was arrested at the end of June, after a judge ruled that the former treasurer should await his trial in prison. He is the subject of an investigation into how he managed to amass as much as €48m in accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere. Bail was set at €28m.
Rajoy Dismisses Calls to Step Down…
