Spain ruling party to probe graft claim

— Spain’s governing Popular Party announced Saturday that it will investigate the financial activities of a former treasurer who a court said had amassed an unexplained $29 million in Swiss bank accounts.

After three days of intense public and media pressure, which saw party leaders try to distance themselves from any purported corruption, party spokesman Maria Dolores de Cospedal said a scandal had to be averted.

“Information that is appearing these days can cause a scandal and is so serious that our party has to be exemplary and has to react,” she said. “Therefore, we will have to go over everything we have done to prove to all Spaniards that our hands are clean.”

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had said his hand “would not tremble” if revelations of purported corruption in his party proved to be true. “Thereare matters before the courts, and those courts are acting,” he said, referring to a court investigation that revealed extreasurer Luis Barcenas’ Swiss accounts. The case comes as Spain tries to emerge from its second recession in three years and has an unemployment rate of 25 percent, the highest in the European Union.

On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria denied knowing anything about the money or newspaper reports that Barcenas also gave Popular Party members large sums in underthe-table payments.

Front Section, Pages 10 on 01/20/2013

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