Latest news with #SantosCerdán
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Spain's Socialist PM begs for forgiveness over corruption
Spain's Left-wing prime minister has apologised for a series of corruption scandals within his Socialist party. Pedro Sanchez's expression of regret came hours after a close ally was implicated in a bribery scandal. 'I apologise to citizens and Socialist party members and activists,' the prime minister said in a press conference at the party's headquarters in Madrid, on Thursday. Two hours earlier, Santos Cerdán, the party secretary, resigned when Spanish press reported that the police had evidence linking him with a scheme in which companies were charged in return for government contracts. Mr Sánchez admitted to being 'mistaken' in placing his trust in Mr Cerdán, one of his closest aides for a decade, but ruled out resigning or calling a snap election before the scheduled date in 2027. He said he had asked Mr Cerdán to step down and promised an audit of the party's finances, given the suspicion that the former secretary may have been gathering funds for political campaigns. 'Zero corruption is impossible but we must show zero tolerance when it occurs,' Mr Sánchez said. Legislative standstill In a letter announcing his resignation from his party post and as an MP, Mr Cerdán denied committing any illegal acts and said he would fight to clear his name. The allegations stem from an an ongoing police investigation into José Luis Ábalos, Mr Cerdán's predecessor, who is suspected of taking bribes from business owners in exchange for public contracts during his four-year spell as transport and infrastructure minister. The report contains transcripts of conversations involving Mr Ábalos, his advisor and Mr Cerdán, in which the latter is described as 'managing' the receipt of more than €600,000 in payments from a construction company. The Socialists came second to the conservative People's Party (PP) in 2023, but narrowly held onto power by forming a minority Left-wing coalition. Since then, the increasingly beleaguered Mr Sánchez has seen his wife and brother, as well as party officials, placed under investigation for alleged corruption offences.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spain's prime minister asks nation for forgiveness after high court investigates a close confidant
MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Thursday asked the nation for forgiveness after a close confidant in his Socialist Party was put under investigation for his alleged participation in a kickback scheme. The damaging case is the latest legal scandal — none of which have gone beyond the preliminary investigation phase — that have dogged Sánchez's inner party circle and his family for the past year. Sánchez himself hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing. ¨I want to ask forgiveness to the public because the Socialist Party and myself as its general secretary not should have trusted him," he said, referring to Socialist lawmaker Santos Cerdán. Sánchez spoke hours after Spain's Supreme Court said that Cerdán is suspected of being involved in an alleged kickback scheme for government contracts. It was part of an ongoing investigation that already had pointed to the participation of another former minister in Sánchez's government. Cerdán was the Socialist Party's No. 3 official until he resigned from that post on Thursday. 'I have known Santos Cerdán since 2011 ... and worked arm in arm with him,' he said, adding that no matter what happens in the court case 'this is an enormous disappointment.' Speaking at the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid, Sánchez repeatedly asked Spaniards for forgiveness and said that he had learned of the corruption charges against Cerdán only hours before. Sánchez said that Cerdán is defending his innocence. The public act of contrition by Sánchez comes around 14 months after he took five days off to consider his political future when a judge launched an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged influence peddling. Instead of resigning, he said he would fight on and denounced what he called a 'smear campaign' by media outlets aligned with right-wing political leanings. On Thursday, the Spanish leader said that he would order an external audit of the Socialist Party's accounts, but he refused to call an early election like his political opponents have demanded for months. 'There won't be elections until 2027, because this is not about me or the Socialist Party. This is about a project to bring positive change to the country,' Sánchez said. Despite leading a minority government, Sánchez said that he was sure he could finish out his four-year term. He has so far maintained the backing of his government's junior members and a myriad of smaller regional and leftist parties in parliament. 'There is no crisis in my government,' Sánchez said. As secretary of the Socialist Party organization, Cerdán held the third-most powerful position in the prime minister's party. Shortly after the court made public that there were sufficient indications that Cerdán was involved in the alleged kickback scheme, Cerdán renounced his seat in parliament and his party posts. While never a minister, Cerdán was charged with sensitive political negotiations, including the key talks between the Socialists and Catalan separatist parties that allowed Sánchez to form a new government in late 2023. One of Europe's longest-serving leaders, the 53-year-old Sánchez has displayed adroit negotiating skills to stay in power since 2018, when he led Spain's only successful no-confidence motion against his conservative Popular Party predecessor. This week, Spain's Supreme Court also announced that it would put the country's prosecutor general on trial over allegations of leaking confidential information in a tax fraud case involving the boyfriend of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the conservative head of the Madrid region and one of Sánchez's main political rivals. Last Sunday, tens of thousands of people protested in Madrid against Sánchez in a rally that was organized by the Popular Party under the slogan 'mafia or democracy." ___ Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Suman Naishadham And Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Spain's prime minister asks nation for forgiveness after high court investigates a close confidant
MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Thursday asked the nation for forgiveness after a close confidant in his Socialist Party was put under investigation for his alleged participation in a kickback scheme. The damaging case is the latest legal scandal — none of which have gone beyond the preliminary investigation phase — that have dogged Sánchez's inner party circle and his family for the past year. Sánchez himself hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing. ¨I want to ask forgiveness to the public because the Socialist Party and myself as its general secretary not should have trusted him,' he said, referring to Socialist lawmaker Santos Cerdán. Sánchez spoke hours after Spain's Supreme Court said that Cerdán is suspected of being involved in an alleged kickback scheme for government contracts. It was part of an ongoing investigation that already had pointed to the participation of another former minister in Sánchez's government. Cerdán was the Socialist Party's No. 3 official until he resigned from that post on Thursday. 'I have known Santos Cerdán since 2011 ... and worked arm in arm with him,' he said, adding that no matter what happens in the court case 'this is an enormous disappointment.' Speaking at the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid, Sánchez repeatedly asked Spaniards for forgiveness and said that he had learned of the corruption charges against Cerdán only hours before. Sánchez said that Cerdán is defending his innocence. The public act of contrition by Sánchez comes around 14 months after he took five days off to consider his political future when a judge launched an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez, for alleged influence peddling. Instead of resigning, he said he would fight on and denounced what he called a 'smear campaign' by media outlets aligned with right-wing political leanings. On Thursday, the Spanish leader said that he would order an external audit of the Socialist Party's accounts, but he refused to call an early election like his political opponents have demanded for months. 'There won't be elections until 2027, because this is not about me or the Socialist Party. This is about a project to bring positive change to the country,' Sánchez said. Despite leading a minority government, Sánchez said that he was sure he could finish out his four-year term. He has so far maintained the backing of his government's junior members and a myriad of smaller regional and leftist parties in parliament. 'There is no crisis in my government,' Sánchez said. As secretary of the Socialist Party organization, Cerdán held the third-most powerful position in the prime minister's party. Shortly after the court made public that there were sufficient indications that Cerdán was involved in the alleged kickback scheme, Cerdán renounced his seat in parliament and his party posts. While never a minister, Cerdán was charged with sensitive political negotiations, including the key talks between the Socialists and Catalan separatist parties that allowed Sánchez to form a new government in late 2023. One of Europe's longest-serving leaders, the 53-year-old Sánchez has displayed adroit negotiating skills to stay in power since 2018, when he led Spain's only successful no-confidence motion against his conservative Popular Party predecessor. This week, Spain's Supreme Court also announced that it would put the country's prosecutor general on trial over allegations of leaking confidential information in a tax fraud case involving the boyfriend of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the conservative head of the Madrid region and one of Sánchez's main political rivals. Last Sunday, tens of thousands of people protested in Madrid against Sánchez in a rally that was organized by the Popular Party under the slogan 'mafia or democracy.' ___ Joseph Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Spain's Pedro Sánchez sorry after top aide resigns in corruption scandal
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has apologised to the Spanish people after an escalating corruption scandal brought down a senior Socialist party colleague.Sánchez, who has led Spain since 2018, said there was no such thing as "zero corruption", adding he was wrong to trust Santos Cerdán, the secretary of his party and close political colleague. Cerdán has been asked to testify in court after a judge suggested he may have acted with former party officials in improperly awarding public contracts in exchange for said on Thursday he was stepping down to defend himself in the Supreme Court on 25 June, maintaining he had "never committed a crime nor have I been complicit one". Amid mounting speculation over his own future, the prime minister called a news conference in a bid to distance himself from the creeping scandal. He said he knew absolutely nothing about the corruption affair and instead pledged to restructure the leadership of his Socialist PSOE rejected calls for early elections, insisting the next national vote would not take place until 2027 and his government would continue its "political project"."This is not about me, and it's not about the Socialist party," he his seven years in power, Sánchez heads a shaky coalition, secured after the conservative Popular Party won 2023 elections but failed to form a government. While the opposition demanded answers on Thursday, deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz from left-wing coalition partner Sumar said she also wanted explanations. It was Sánchez's first appearance answering media questions since a national power outage that hit Spain in from Socialist party (PSOE) headquarters in Madrid, the prime minister said he had until Thursday morning been persuaded of Santos Cerdán's integrity and wanted to apologise to Spanish citizens."There is no such thing as zero corruption," he said. "We shouldn't have trusted him."Sanchez said that like many others he had his faults and asked the Spanish people for went on to accuse the conservatives of besieging his government on a multitude of issues.Sánchez has faced repeated political crises and in April 2024 threatened to stand took five days to decide on his future in April 2024, when a court decided to open preliminary proceedings against his wife over allegations surrounding her business too he called a televised news conference, and in a moment of high drama announced he had decided to stay on in the job.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Corruption allegations intensify around Spain's government as MP resigns
The swirl of corruption allegations surrounding the centre-left government of Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has intensified dramatically after a senior member of his Spanish Socialist Workers' party (PSOE) resigned hours after a judge found 'firm evidence' of his possible involvement in taking kickbacks on public construction contracts. Sánchez – who became prime minister in 2018 after using a motion of no confidence to turf the corruption-mired conservative People's party (PP) from office – is already contending with a series of graft probes relating to his wife, his brother, his former transport minister, and one of that minister's aides. All deny any wrongdoing. A former PSOE member was also recently implicated in an alleged smear campaign against the Guardia Civil police unit investigating the corruption allegations. But the pressure on his administration increased further on Wednesday when reports emerged that the Guardia Civil had a recording of Santos Cerdán León, a PSOE MP and the party's organisational secretary, discussing taking kickbacks on public contracts with the former transport minister, José Luis Ábalos, and one of the minister's aides, Koldo García. On Thursday morning, a judge at Spain's supreme court unsealed a case relating to the three men, saying there was 'firm evidence of the possible involvement' of Cerdán in conspiring with Ábalos and García to receive money in return for the 'undue awarding' of public contracts. The judge also invited Cerdán to testify voluntarily later this month. Hours after both Cerdán and the PSOE insisted that he had never taken part in 'any such conversations' and had never influenced the the awarding of public contracts, the MP stepped down from his role in the party and resigned his seat. Cerdán insisted he was innocent in a statement announcing his resignation, explaining that he was standing down in order to 'focus exclusively on defending myself and on providing relevant explanations that will show … that I have never committed and illegal act nor been complicit in one'. He also said he would testify before the judge on 25 June. Ábalos was sacked from Sánchez's cabinet in 2021 and suspended by the PSOE in February last year after refusing to resign when his assistant, García, was accused of taking bribes to facilitate mask contracts during the Covid pandemic. Both are the subjects of ongoing corruption investigations and both have denied any wrongdoing. The PP, which organised a large demonstration in Madrid on Sunday to protest against the Sánchez government and to call for an early general election, said the case against the prime minister and his circle was now utterly damning. 'If anyone was in any doubt as to why we felt there was a mafia-style plot among the party and the government, we imagine that doubt has been dispelled,' the party's leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo told parliament on Thursday. Sánchez's partners in the socialist-led minority government have also called for urgent action and answers. Yolanda Díaz, who serves as labour minister and one of the country's three deputy prime ministers, said it was 'a very serious matter that needs to be clarified and fully explained as soon as possible'.
