Latest news with #JoseLuisAbalos
Russia Today
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Spain's ruling party bans officials from paying for sex
Spain's ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) has banned its members from paying for sex and warned that violations could result in expulsion. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, comes in response to a corruption scandal involving senior party officials and allegations of using public funds for illicit activities, including hiring sex workers. Santos Cerdan, former organizational secretary of the PSOE and a close ally of Sanchez, was ordered into pre-trial detention without bail by the Spanish Supreme Court in June. He faces charges of bribery, criminal conspiracy, and influence peddling related to the alleged rigging of public contracts worth over €500 million ($585 million). Prosecutors allege that Cerdan played a central role in orchestrating the scheme, which purportedly involved distributing at least €5 million in kickbacks among senior officials, including former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and his aide Koldo Garcia. Investigations have uncovered that the officials allegedly used public funds not only for illicit commissions but also for personal expenses, including the procurement of sexual services. Cerdan denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is the target of 'political revenge.' In response, the PSOE announced a leadership shake-up and strict disciplinary rules. 'Soliciting, accepting, or obtaining sexual acts in exchange for money' will now be punished with 'the maximum sanction, expulsion from the party,' the party stated. 'If we believe a woman's body is not for sale, our party cannot allow behavior contrary to that,' Sanchez said during a meeting in Madrid on Saturday. Despite mounting criticism and calls for his resignation, Sanchez has refused to step down. 'The captain doesn't look the other way when seas get rough. He stays to steer the ship through the storm,' he told party leaders. Just hours before his scheduled speech, Sanchez faced fresh turmoil after a new scandal emerged involving one of his close allies. Francisco Salazar, who had been slated for a senior leadership role, resigned following allegations of inappropriate behavior by several women in the PSOE. According to anonymous female PSOE employees have accused Salazar of making obscene comments about their clothing and bodies, inviting them to dinner alone, and asking them to stay overnight at his home while they worked under him at the Moncloa Palace. The party confirmed no formal complaints had been filed but said it would launch an inquiry. Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the People's Party accused the Socialists of acting like a 'mafia' and demanded elections. 'Spaniards deserve a government that doesn't lie to them, that doesn't rob them but serves them,' he said.
LBCI
30-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Spain socialist heavyweight detained in corruption case: Legal sources
Spanish authorities on Monday detained former top Socialist Party official Santos Cerdan in a corruption case, marking a new blow to left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, judicial sources said. Former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos has also been implicated in the investigation into kickbacks for public contracts. The sources said a Supreme Court judge ordered the detention of Cerdan, who has quit as the ruling party's organization secretary, as there was a "risk" he might try to flee or destroy evidence. AFP
Reuters
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Spanish police enter ruling party HQ in corruption probe
MADRID, June 20 (Reuters) - Spanish police entered the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party on Friday to copy the emails of ex-senior party official Santos Cerdan, whose resignation amid a widening graft probe last week triggered a severe political crisis. Judge Leopoldo Puente, who is investigating allegations against Cerdan and former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos, had ordered that the party let the plainclothes officers access its premises, although the Guardia Civil police and government officials said the move did not amount to a raid or searches. Government spokesperson Pilar Alegria and Transport Minister Oscar Puente also confirmed a similar visit to the ministry's roads department. The resignation of Cerdan, a close ally of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, on June 12, and subsequent revelations of potential misconduct, have destabilised the minority governing coalition. Sanchez has apologised publicly but rejected the opposition's calls for his resignation. In a tense grilling in parliament on Wednesday, he declined to say whether his name could crop up in the investigation. The Cerdan case is the latest and most severe of a series of scandals that has left Sanchez having to fend off calls from opponents for snap elections. Cerdan resigned from his seat in parliament and his post in the Socialist Party after a police report was sent to the judge. The report, seen by Reuters, provided transcripts of recordings of Cerdan, Abalos and the latter's former assistant Koldo Garcia discussing alleged kickbacks. Cerdan "appeared to be the person in charge of taking those alleged payments," the police wrote in the report. He has publicly denied any wrongdoing. The judge also asked the police to pore over bank accounts held by Cerdan, companies which allegedly paid bribes and five entrepreneurs. Around 500 bank accounts will be analysed, according to the writ. He also ordered state-owned railway infrastructure operator Adif and the transport ministry's roads department to hand over files over public works that were questioned in a preliminary police report. Abalos and Garcia will testify before the judge next week, while Cerdan will appear on June 30.
