Matas calls on Socialists to react over Ibiza scandal

04/05/2013 00:00

BALEARIC leader Jaume Matas demanded that the Balearic Socialists (PSIB-PSOE) should react with the maximum severity over the alleged payment of commissions to the party in Ibiza for the Eivissa Centre project. And he called on the courts to act in this case as they have done on other occasions. The socialists in Ibiza are alleged to have been paid 1.5 million euros in commission for the adjudication of the project.
Matas said it is up to the secretary general of the socialist party in the Balearics (Francesc Antich) to give explainations, and what we (the Partido Popular) are waiting for are the reactions which there must be to a case such as this. He went on to say we are speaking of very important people within the PSOE, people who are candidates in the May 27 elections. It is necessary to insist that the law be enforced and that justice should act as it has done on other occasions, which was taken as an allusion to the Andratx scandal, although he did not say so.

Matas said that the parties should act with the maximum severity so that such conduct does not become generalised, as the Partido Popular, in his opinion, did when it had a case of these characteristics. He ended by saying we hope this is what will happen in the next few days.
In the meantime, José Blanco, the PSOE's organisation secretary, has filed charges in Madrid against the party's former secretary general in Ibiza, Roque López, who has accused Blanco of having authorised the payment of commissions over a building project in Ibiza.

Blanco said that all the accusations are absolutely false and that both he and the party would put all their efforts into finding out the truth as soon as possible. Angel Acebes, the number two in the Partido Popular, has asked the anti-corruption prosecutor in Ibiza to act, and find out if the allegations are true and where the money from the operation is.

He said it was a very serious situation which affects the entire socialist party.
He went on to ask if the PSOE was going to apply its dogma of zero tolerance for corruption, or if this was merely an empty election slogan.