Magda Álvarez sees her assets embargoed

Magdalena Álvarez used to be Andalucian Minister for Taxation and Economy. She’s also up to her neck in the ERE slush fund scandal, accused of helping to skim hundreds of millions of euros from taxpayers in order to setup false pension schemes and redundancy payments across Andalucia. Anyway, the judge in charge of the investigation slammed a bail of 29.568.129,20 euros on her last month. (Gotta love that 20 cents on the end!). Naturally enough, Continue reading Magda Álvarez sees her assets embargoed

I gave Izquierda Unida €70,000 cash in a shoe box

No, not me – Seville businessman José Antonio González, currently turned witness for the prosecution in exchange for leniency in the ERE slush fund case rocking Andalusian politics. José has submitted evidence to Judge Alaya, in charge of rooting out the truth in this billion euro corruption case, showing that over the years he paid around €700,000 in bribes to politicians of all colours in exchange for lucrative business deals around Seville. Including €70,000 in Continue reading I gave Izquierda Unida €70,000 cash in a shoe box

EU opens corruption investigation into Andalucian budgets

The EU has opened an official investigation to see what’s happened to over €200 million of EU funds that seem to have “vanished” in Andalucia. The corruption investigation looks at how the Junta de Andalucia has been spending the EU funds, which were supposed to go on labour policies and reduction of workplace accidents.

Judge goes after Griñan and Chaves in corruption scandal rocking Andalucias government

Judge Alaya has formally requested the presence of the legal defense teams of ex-Presidents Griñán (he quit last week) and former President Chaves, the two former leaders of Andalucia, in the massive ERE corruption scandal rocking Andalucia. The ERE scandal, for the uninitiated, is an investigation into the crooked payment of illegal pensions and redundancy payments (using over a billion euros of tax payers money) to political buddies in state owned companies across Andalucia. So Continue reading Judge goes after Griñan and Chaves in corruption scandal rocking Andalucias government

What´s all this about the Andalucian ERE slush fund case?

Here´s a quick guide to get you up to speed on the ERE (slush fund) case in Andalucia from elmundo.es Yes, you need to read Spanish. Here´s a Google translated page. Errors not mine. The slush fund case revolves around the Junta paying out millions upon millions (possibly over a billion euros) to friends and families, and later to people who were a political nuisance. President Griñán HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS CASE – Continue reading What´s all this about the Andalucian ERE slush fund case?

UGT union takes advantadge of labour reform rules for a mass redundency

The UGT in Andalucia has announced that it is to lay off 130 workers, and pay them only 20 days salary per year worked, as permitted to do under the labour reform rules implemented by the PP. The UGT, you may remember, is one of the most vocal unions against the labour reform rules, but doesn’t seem to mind taking advantadge of the rules to save some cash. To add insult to injury, a further Continue reading UGT union takes advantadge of labour reform rules for a mass redundency

Super Olé boss & ex-President of Almeria chamber of commerce legs it as courts search for him

It appears that Miguel Uribe, ex-President of the Almeria chamber of commerce ASEMPAL and head of Almería’s largest home grown supermarket chain, appears to have gone missing after he failed to turn up to a court in Murcia relating to the firing of 50% of the Super Olé workforce. The supermarket chain, based out of Almería, recently laid off 50% of its workforce and entered bankruptcy proceedings. However, a Murcian work court is considering a Continue reading Super Olé boss & ex-President of Almeria chamber of commerce legs it as courts search for him

That “boredom of an ERE” complains the [male chauvinist pig] Andalucian Minister of Justice in Parliament

The Andalucian Minister of Justice (hah!) has publicly brushed off an MP’s question about the ERE scandal as another question about “that boredom of the ERE” (ese rollo de los ERE), despite the fact that we’re talking about the corrupt misspending of up to a billion euros of public money by corrupt politicians buying off friends and foes. The following is a bunch of technical terms translated from the most boring of technical Spanish legalese Continue reading That “boredom of an ERE” complains the [male chauvinist pig] Andalucian Minister of Justice in Parliament

Mass firing of politicians announced in Balearic Islands

“It’s what the people want” declared the President of the Balearic Islands federal region, José Ramón Bauzá, who announced today that his government (PP) is planning a “mass cull” of politicians in the islands. OK, he used the word mass redundancy, “ERE”, but given the connotations of the word ERE at the moment here in Andalucia….. Although specific details were lacking during the press conference, José said his government was in the advanced stages of Continue reading Mass firing of politicians announced in Balearic Islands

Anticorruption group launches criminal corruption complaint against Andalucia President & ministers involved in ERE case

Manos Limpias, the national group dedicated to fighting corruption in public office, has announced that they have lodged a personal criminal complaint (querella) against Jose Griñán (President of Andalucía), Manuel Chaves (ex-President of Andalucía and third VP of Spain under Zapatero in the last government), and the Andalucian ex-ministers Gaspar Zarrías and José Antonio Viera. The complaint alledges that the politicians spent hundreds of millions of euros of public funds via slush funds in paying Continue reading Anticorruption group launches criminal corruption complaint against Andalucia President & ministers involved in ERE case