THE net of corruption has finally snared a big fish from the Socialist PSOE party.

A former minister in Zapatero’s government has denied taking nearly €300,000 in return for permits for a pharmaceutical business.

Former Public Works Minister Jose Blanco has insisted he will give up his seat if he’s charged in an investigation into allegations he received payments from Galician businessman Jorge Dorribo.

The Supreme Court is investigating whether a total of €290,000 was paid to Blanco, 51, who was in the cabinet from 2009 to 2011.

Currently he enjoys legal immunity because of his role as deputy general of the PSOE party, however the Supreme court has requested that his immunity be lifted so he can face the accusations.

“If the judges decide to give the order for a hearing, I will resign as a deputy and leave my seat,” Blanco said.

The court opened the investigation in December 2011 on charges of accepting bribes for influence.

Last month the judge requested the bank account details of Blanco and his wife from the tax authorities and extracts from the period 2006 to 2011.

Meanwhile, the courts continue to investigate whether former PP treasurer Luis Barcenas paid millions in cash from offshore accounts to various PP ministers and current Prime Minister Rajoy.

It has emerged that PP officials got detectives to tap his phone and monitor him as they feared he would go public with the claims.

The government is now suing newspaper El Pais claiming that so-called ledgers owned by Barcenas and showing payments are fake.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. “Former Public Works Minister Jose Blanco has insisted he will give up his seat if he’s charged in an investigation into allegations he received payments from Galician businessman Jorge Dorribo.”

    Doesn’t sound very confident does it lol? Why didn’t he say that he was innocent? We know why…

  2. Fred, he was charged, he was true to his word and resigned his post (something of which not many can boast of) and has been declared Innocent on all counts. Now, have you heard much about it in the Spanish press? I found this in one of the more independent. Might be more, but with all the accusations thrown at him for months on end, one would have thought that apologies and congratulations to this gentleman would have been screaming at you from the headlines of every single news and TV media that accused him.

    “http://www.elplural.com/2013/09/20/el-exministro-blanco-sale-absolutamente-limpio-del-caso-campeon/”

  3. Fred

    Haven’t heard a thing, or read either, other than that one story in that particular newspaper.

    Problem is they seem to forget once they are out of the picture and Blanco could have been a substitute for the leader of the Junta. Now the leader has also stepped down too, so nothing heard much about him either. Strange isn’t it? It takes sooo long for anything to get done that by the time it has all interest is lost, but it makes headlines for a while and diverts attention from other things.

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