30 corruption cases opened five years ago besiege the PP

Judicial cases for corruption have plagued the PP since 2009. The year that now begins has at least 30 summaries with the investigation completed in the Gürtel, Lezo, Púnica, Erial, Taula, Tandem and others cases with several dozen former popular leaders prosecuted. The pending trials, some already have a start date set, will sentence events that occurred more than five years ago. This untimely justice will be a new blow to the prestige of the conservative party now chaired by Alberto Núñez Feijóo. What follows summarizes the judicial via crucis of the PP.

»Gürtel case, 14 years later, four cases pending. On February 6, 2009, Judge Baltasar Garzón dismantled one of the most extensive corruption schemes known in democracy. The network had colonized more than a dozen administrations governed by the PP in Madrid, the Valencian Community, Castilla y León and Andalusia. From that investigation, multiple separate pieces emerged that gave rise to trials that ended with harsh prison sentences for mayors, councilors, regional councilors and even whoever was national treasurer. The PP was considered a “profitable participant” in two of the cases; it benefited from the crimes committed by the corrupt network. Fifteen years later, the PP is still waiting for some more sentences linked to the case. Francisco Camps, who presided over a Government dotted with corruption, judging by the councilors and senior officials who have been convicted in recent years, faces the prosecutor's request for prison in piece number 5 of the Gürtel case. These are the rigged contracts that its Executive awarded to Orange Market, the Valencian subsidiary of the Gürtel scheme. The sentence will be known in the coming weeks or months.

Boxes b of the national PP and the Madrid PP pending trial or appeal. The Supreme Court will respond in the coming weeks to the appeals against the ruling of the National Court for the so-called Bárcenas case, box b of the PP that financed part of the cost of the works at the Génova headquarters, 13. That ruling blamed the former treasurer and considered the PP subsidiary civilly liable. The party decided not to appeal the ruling, thus admitting corruption. In the Community of Madrid, a box B also operated with which the party was illegally financed, according to the indictment against leaders of Esperanza Aguirre's Government. One of the summaries of the Púnica case deals with this box and is pending trial along with nine other separate pieces.

Illegal espionage to protect the PP. Kitchen Case. Another judicial investigation concluded and pending trial will lead to the bench the former Minister of the Interior, Jorge Fernández Díaz, his number two, Francisco Martínez and half a dozen police commissioners. All of them are accused of perpetrating an operation behind the judge's back to spy on the family of Luis Bárcenas, former treasurer of the PP, with the intention of stealing documentation that could implicate the Government of Mariano Rajoy in various corruption crimes.

Former ministers Rato and Zaplana face high prison sentences. Rodrigo Rato, former Minister of Economy and former president of Bankia, has been sitting on the bench for weeks. The prosecution is asking for dozens of years in prison for Rato for defrauding millions of euros. Eduardo Zaplana, former Minister of Labor, has been facing a trial since February 1 where the prosecution is requesting 19 years for the crimes of money laundering, bribery, falsehood and prevarication in the Erial case.

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