GÜRTEL AFFAIRE


This is the name that receives the investigation instructed by the judge Baltasar Garzón, which purpose is to uncover a supposed network of corruption linked to the Partido Popular and directed by the businessman Francisco Correa.
The case started when José Luis Peñas (ex-councilman of the PP in Majadahonda's town hall) reported to the police.
The plot would be headed by a quartet integrated by the businessman Francisco Correa and three of his right-hand men: Álvaro Pérez whose nickname is “Bigotes ", Pablo Crespo and Antonio Sanchez. This group would have established a supposed business conglomerate in order Valencia and Galicia to be nourished of funds of public entities, especially of some town halls and autonomous communities as Madrid, as well as the legal prohibitions to skip in urban development and environmental matter that they would have concerned his real-estate business.
The importance of this group started when Francisco Correa was chosen by the former president of Spain, José María Aznar,in order to organize the public events of the PP, but he was dismissed later by Mariano Rajoy.

By Mario Laguillo

ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT

FOR HANDLING OF PIRATE CRISIS

Deputy Prime Minister María Teresa Fernández de la Vega yesterday defended before Congress the actions of the government during the Alakrana crisis,which saw 36 fishermen aboard the Basque tuna boat held ostaga by Somali pirates for 47 days. Other parties, however, were highly critical of the government’s resolution of the situation, with the opposition Popular Party (PP) describing its approach as a “national embarrassment.”

De la Vega eluded questions about the alleged $4 million ramson paid to the pirates, claiming the need for “responsibility, and the need to maintain security [with regard to] the actions of the secret service.”

“[The government] has forgoteen that the use of force is sometimos necessary to uphold the law,” Saénz said, pointing out that Spanish legislation forbids the payment of ransom money “for reasons of common sense.” De la Vega responded by saying that the government was “reasonably satisfied” with having secured the fishermen’s return and argued that Spain had done the same as other countries in similar situations.

Both the PP and the PNV criticized the government for not properly anticipating the problem, pointing to the 20 or so motions rejected by the government that would have seen security boosted on fishing boats.

Izquierda Unida deputy Gaspar Llamazares said he was “satisfied” that the fishermen, 16 of whom were Spanish, had returned

and criticized the attitude of the PP, saying that they wanted an “army against Africans” that acted “to Project valuables belonging to private interests of the PP, saying that they wanted an “army against Africans” that acted “to protect valuables belonging to private interests.”

By Esther Díaz Junco