Madrid.- The Spanish government yesterday distanced himself from the investigation into the assets of the former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and former economic vice president, Rodrigo Rato, trying to take away from a scandal that affects it was one of the pillars of ruling Popular Party (PP), when a month and a half for regional and municipal elections and eight months for the general lack.
The vice president, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, said the case is part of the “private sphere” and that the government does not intend to explain beyond a hearing on Tuesday, the director of the Tax Office in Congress, while the 31 Instruction Court ordered Madrid Spanish financial institutions to block current accounts, deposits, pension fund and investment as well as various financial products on behalf of Rato.
After more than seven hours arrested Thursday, accused of money laundering, concealment of assets and tax fraud, Rato, former vice president of the Spanish government in the government of José María Aznar (1996-2004), he returned to live yesterday a hard day in which he was insulted and rebuked by many citizens as he left his home in the central district of Salamanca in Madrid, and headed to his office.
Rato, who said he has no society “or a tax haven, even outside the European Union”, was to witness the record again perform service agents Dependent Surveillance Customs Revenue Agency, who once again they took numerous documents from his office. And dismounting, he had to hear insults from passersby as “son of …”, “Crazy”, “thief” and “sausage” when he tried to enter the building.
Saenz de Santamaria said that public institutions showed that work, at a delicate moment for the two big traditional political parties, PP and (PSOE) Socialist Party, which could suffer at the polls outrage from the public to the various political and financial scandals .
Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro said that “no matter belonging to a party or not, the social significance or political significance or political or economic power one is allocated. We are all equal before the law and that is something that has to enforce a government. ”
At the press conference after the Council of Ministers, Montoro which worked under de Rato years ago in the Economy Ministry said the investigation ordered by the Office of Madrid for the alleged crimes of money laundering, tax evasion and concealment of goods has to do with their assets abroad.
Montoro said that the lawsuits are the result of the investigations conducted by the Tax Office and stressed that are unrelated to the tax amnesty that the government of Mariano Rajoy approved in 2012 and former director of the IMF would have welcomed.
Rato, 66, was released late Thursday to consider the prosecutor who had no need to ask his imprisonment. Nor was forced to testify before the judge. Recordings were carried out following a complaint filed Thursday by the prosecution in the courts of Instruction Madrid against him and others on charges of fraud, concealment of assets (crime pursued by hiding assets that could cover debts or finance ) and money laundering, and to prevent them from destroying the evidence.
It is also investigated by a network of companies and societies that created to try to boost property and avoid foreclosure and created on behalf of his three children, his sister and his niece, and are registered in tax havens. And for carrying out traffic exchange worth 12 million euros by operations in Luxembourg, Switzerland and Gibraltar.
Yesterday neither President Mariano Rajoy and Aznar made any statements. Many fear that Rato, for years considered the architect of the Spanish economic miracle, go to prison before the general elections, which would be a blow for the ruling party.
Yesterday the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Tax Code that allow you to publish a list of those who fail to meet their tax obligations to pay. The list shall consist of those taxpayers that next July 31 owed to the Treasury over one million euros.
A list of fraudsters will also go public with the firm convictions of offenses against public finances that are confirmed after the entry into force of the reform, although arising from events that occurred previously. The reform will be sent to Parliament to be approved later this year. Just before the general election. With information from agencies
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