KING Felipe VI's annual Christmas Eve speech once again included a covert appeal to secessionist politicians, as well as raising concerns about young adults' struggle to afford housing and violence against women.
Justice minister Rafael Catalá denies 'supporting' regional president charged with corruption
26/04/2017
JUSTICE minister Rafael Catalá has come under fire from the opposition after a text message he sent to former Madrid regional president Ignacio González – in custody over a multi-million public fund embezzlement – offering him 'support' was found.
In it, Catalá said to his fellow PP member that he 'hoped the mess would soon be sorted out' for him.
This was back in November, but inquiries into the 'disappearance' of €10.5 million through the public-sector firm Canal de Isabel II, run by González, and a possible money-laundering case linked to his penthouse in Marbella had already started.
At the time, they were kept very secret, and have only just come to light with González's arrest.
Left-wing independent party Podemos has called for Catalá to resign, considering the text message to be a sign of González's having sought help to get out of his legal predicament from the minister in charge of court proceedings.
Giving a statement in the corridors of the Senate, Catalá insisted yesterday (Tuesday) that at the moment of the exchange of text messages, the two politicians 'were not talking about judicial issues', but only about 'Spain's political situation'.
“My relationship with González was purely institutional, not one of friendship, and he never asked me for help to resolve his problems with the courts,” argued Catalá.
“The text message was merely a courtesy reply to González's own message of congratulations when Mariano Rajoy said he wanted me to continue for a second term of office as one of his ministers – like hundreds of other messages I received that day.”
The messages came to light, and were published by the media, a day earlier, having been uncovered after judge Eloy Velasco ordered González's mobile phone to be tapped.
Catalá says the phone-tapping and the publishing of his 'private messages' was a 'blatant violation' of the sub judice order placed on the case.
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JUSTICE minister Rafael Catalá has come under fire from the opposition after a text message he sent to former Madrid regional president Ignacio González – in custody over a multi-million public fund embezzlement – offering him 'support' was found.
In it, Catalá said to his fellow PP member that he 'hoped the mess would soon be sorted out' for him.
This was back in November, but inquiries into the 'disappearance' of €10.5 million through the public-sector firm Canal de Isabel II, run by González, and a possible money-laundering case linked to his penthouse in Marbella had already started.
At the time, they were kept very secret, and have only just come to light with González's arrest.
Left-wing independent party Podemos has called for Catalá to resign, considering the text message to be a sign of González's having sought help to get out of his legal predicament from the minister in charge of court proceedings.
Giving a statement in the corridors of the Senate, Catalá insisted yesterday (Tuesday) that at the moment of the exchange of text messages, the two politicians 'were not talking about judicial issues', but only about 'Spain's political situation'.
“My relationship with González was purely institutional, not one of friendship, and he never asked me for help to resolve his problems with the courts,” argued Catalá.
“The text message was merely a courtesy reply to González's own message of congratulations when Mariano Rajoy said he wanted me to continue for a second term of office as one of his ministers – like hundreds of other messages I received that day.”
The messages came to light, and were published by the media, a day earlier, having been uncovered after judge Eloy Velasco ordered González's mobile phone to be tapped.
Catalá says the phone-tapping and the publishing of his 'private messages' was a 'blatant violation' of the sub judice order placed on the case.
Related Topics
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