Former Spanish prime minister and former leader of the PP party, José María Aznar, said today that "PP had no slush fund", during an appearance before the Congress commission investigating the party's alleged irregular funding. Aznar said he doesn't have to apologise for anything he did because he's never been charged nor summonsed to testify over PP's illegal funding.
His successor as PP leader, Mariano Rajoy, last year became the first serving Spanish PM to testify in court, in a related case.
"There's no evidence" that the PP received illegal funding, "it's a product of the imagination", said Aznar. The former PP leader insisted that the verdict that PP had benefited financially from irregularly adjudicated public contracts does not prove that a slush fund existed whilst he was heading the party. He said that the sentence is limited to the actions of "only" two municipalities.
PP bonuses
Aznar stated that he doesn't know, nor did he hire Francisco Correa, facing years in prison for his involvement. He didn't want to talk about the Bárcenas papers, part of the basis for the legal case. It's a different matter, he said, "that there might be people who've acted outside of the law". As for the question of bonuses, the former PM claimed that he always settled his accounts with the tax office when he was a deputy and president of his party. "When I was prime minister, I only earned that salary," he said.
Aznar initially replied to questions from Rafael Simancas (PSOE). who he repeatedly criticised, arguing that PSOE has been convicted of illegal funding, and not him, referring to a case from the 1990's. He even brought up the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, criticising that and the 320 PSOE officials which he says are under investigation for corruption.
Eduardo Zaplana
The former PP leader expressed concern for the situation and health of Eduardo Zaplana, his former party and government colleague, who is in Picassent prison whilst being investigated for money laundering, bribery, misuse of public funds and influence trafficking, among other crimes.