Health Minister resigns over Gürtel corruption allegations
Thursday, November 27, 2014 @ 10:07 AM
It has just been announced that Ana Mato, Secretary of State for Health, Social Services and Equality, has resigned over allegations of involvement in the high-profile Gürtel corruption case.
The judge handling the Gürtel case, Pablo Ruz, has today confirmed that he intends to put a total of 43 of the 100 or so people believed to be involved in the money-laundering and corruption racket into the dock, including Mato.
Ruz has confirmed that there is proof that Mato was a financial beneficiary of the crimes committed by her now ex-husband, the former mayor of Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Jesús Sepúlveda.
One of the main protagonists of the corruption scandal, Luis Bárcenas, has already been held in preventative detention for more than a year, due to the real risk of him absconding.
The judge considers Mato to be a "financial beneficiary" of the gifts received by her ex-husband, meaning that she is unlikely to be charged with any crime, but will be arraigned for "civil responsibility".
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