"Corruption investigations targeting former Socialist heavyweights and Sanchez's relatives have embarrassed a leader who took office in 2018 pledging to clean up Spanish politics after the conservative opposition was convicted in its own graft scandal. The bad-tempered five-hour hearing grilled Sanchez about a complicated affair involving alleged kickbacks in exchange for public contracts for sanitary equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic."
"Sanchez told the committee that Socialist party funding was 'absolutely clean' and that receiving cash payments -- linked by the police investigation to the alleged corruption -- was 'perfectly legal' for official expenses if they came with receipts. Asked about his sacking of Abalos in 2021, Sanchez insisted the reasons were 'fundamentally political' and said 'being under investigation is not a conviction'."
Pedro Sanchez denied alleged Socialist corruption and angrily called the Senate probe 'a circus' and 'a witch hunt'. A five-hour hearing focused on alleged kickbacks tied to public contracts for sanitary equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic. Former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos, senior official Santos Cerdan and ex-adviser Koldo Garcia are implicated; Cerdan has been jailed and police entered Socialist headquarters in Madrid. The opposition Popular Party, which holds a Senate majority, seeks to prove Sanchez knew of or participated in the manoeuvres, accusations Sanchez rejects. Sanchez asserted party funding was 'absolutely clean' and argued cash payments were legal with receipts.
Read at www.thelocal.es
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