Giving evidence in fraud and bribery case, Rajoy denies any knowledge of illegal funding racket within ruling People’s partySpain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, became the first serving Spanish premier to testify in a criminal case on Wednesday when he emphatically denied any knowledge of an illegal funding racket within the ruling People’s party. The prime minister is not accused of any wrongdoing, but the case has become emblematic of the many corruption scandals that have engulfed the PP over recent years. Rajoy told the court he had severed the party’s relationship with Correa’s businesses in 2004 after learning that the businessman had been misusing the party’s name. For the first time, a prime minister has had to sit down and testify about corruption in his party.”Two of Rajoy’s predecessors – Adolfo Suárez and Felipe González – were involved in separate trials but only after serving as prime minister. Pablo Iglesias, leader of the anti-austerity Podemos party, criticised Rajoy for the “insolent” tone of some of his replies, tweeting: “Spain doesn’t deserve this disgrace.

Source: The Guardian July 26, 2017 12:26 UTC