A judge prosecutes two former socialist presidents of Andalusia in Spain

USPA NEWS - After five and a half years of research, one of the biggest corruption scandals in the recent history of Spain has just entered a new phase. A judge has indicted two former socialist presidents of the regional Government of Andalusia.

Former presidents of the regional Government of Andalusia Manuel Chaves, former president of the Socialist Party, and Jose Antonio Grinan have been prosecuted for the alleged crimes of corruption and embezzlement of public funds during the years that were responsible for the regional Government of Andalusia. Are public offices most relevant accused by the judge who has prosecuted 27 people and has exonerated 24 others as a result of an investigation initiated on January 19, 2011, to clarify the operation of a criminal structure created under the regional Government to defraud the Treasury and Social Security.

On January 19, 2011, Judge Mercedes Alaya launched a judicial investigation that led to the charging of two former socialist presidents. The judge was relieved by another judge who has now finished investigating the case and has defined the group of indicted. At 27 indicted are accused of various crimes, all related to the creation of a network dedicated to processing fraudulent early retirement and records of employment regulation (ERE its acronym in Spanish) fictitious. Judicial, long and complex investigation established as fact that the Andalusian regional Government approved the granting of aid for early retirement of people who supposedly have begun to work the same day of his birth.

Aid to companies in difficulty whose ERE included family and friends of senior regional Government of Andalusia between 2001 and 2010 were also approved. The Judge Alaya always maintained that these fraudulent actions could not have been carried out without the active participation or passive of the heads of the regional Government of Andalusia. His successor, Judge Alvaro Martin, maintains the same thesis and accuses the two former presidents have relaxed control services of Andalusian regional Government to allow fraud. In addition to the two former presidents, among the 27 indicted are four former ministers of the regional Government.

Despite the allocation of the 27 indicted, legal experts consider that still remains to be investigated half of the cause, which is already 117,000 pages. The crimes of corruption and embezzlement of public funds of which former presidents of the regional Government of Andalusia Manuel Chaves and Jose Antonio Grinan lead is accused criminal in prison. Both leaders suspended his membership in the Socialist Party late last year, and Grinan left the presidency of the Andalusian Government when it was confirmed that it was being investigated.

Therefore, the general secretary of the Socialist Party, Pedro Sanchez, said Wednesday the consistency of the two former presidents, and parliamentary spokesman for the Socialist Party showed them their full support. However, since other parties called "shame" the degree of corruption allegedly reached by the two former presidents and four ministers. The inquest determined that fraudulent aid was granted even though the General Intervention of the Andalusian regional Government warned repeatedly of the irregularities.