Bárcenas slush-fund trial: Cospedal's predecessors in the dock

Cospedal's turn is Wednesday and Arenas and Cascos appeared today, but the outcome of their hearing has not been released yet.

Cascos entered the court building on foot at 11.00hrs this morning, dressed in a grey suit and greeted with multiple cries of 'tea-leaf', 'robber', and accusations of 'bare-faced cheek' and 'corruption'.

He was secretary-general of the PP between 1989 and 1999 and is said to have received 412,000 euros in cash-in-hand wage top-ups, and to have continued receiving during his spell as minister of public works as part of José María Aznar's government, which is against the Law of Compatibility, legislation set up to ensure politicians with multiple titles do not earn a salary for every single one.

Between 1994 and 1996, he is said to have received 47 million pesetas, or 282,000 euros.

Arenas arrived at 12.20hrs this morning and got a similar welcome from the crowds around the entrance to the court building, many of whom wore masks with president Mariano Rajoy's face on them.

According to the former PP treasurer, when he was about to leave and liquidated the under-the-mattress cash held by the party, he gave Arenas 4,900 euros in cash and said, “Put this in an envelope, lad, and give it to the president – he'll know what to do with it.”

Luis Bárcenas also admitted Arenas was present when he and Rajoy met to agree to the ex-treasurer still keeping an office in the PP headquarters, his secretary and official car, and earning a salary from the party 'for the foreseeable future' after leaving his treasurer post in 2009.

But Bárcenas said Arenas would not have seen the hidden accounts, since only he, Bárcenas and his predecessor, Álvaro Lapuerta, who is also facing charges, were privy to them.

Earlier this week, PP cashier Antonio Ortiz and Bárcenas' successor Cristóbal Páez were summoned as witnesses.

Ortiz had brought a solicitor with him but was told he could not have legal assistance as he was testifying as a witness, not an accused party.

The same applies to Cospedal, Arenas and Cascos, who have also been summoned as witnesses rather than being accused.

Judge Pablo Ruz also confiscated their Tablets and mobile phones before the hearing to prevent filtrations or information exchanges.

This was because the last time Bárcenas (pictured right) testified, one of the solicitors tweeted part of his statement in real time, an action which could give other witnesses an insight allowing them to mould their own answers when interrogated to suit their aims.

Ruz was forced to carry out an investigation to find out who had filtered the statement.

Bárcenas, in his last statement on July 15, had revealed 'irregularities' in the PP party and said the three successive secretary-generals had received cash in envelopes in addition to their wages, and that much of this came from bribes given to the party by companies in exchange for awarding them lucrative public works contracts.

All three names were mentioned on the handwritten accounts which Bárcenas now admits was the 'underground book-keeping' he kept for the PP when he was their treasurer.

It has also been found that he was the highest-paid member of the party and was still on the payroll even after he ceased to be treasurer.