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The Supreme Court ratifies convictions in the case of "box B" of Partido Popular
- November 16, 2024
The Supreme Court has essentially confirmed the sentence that had condemned the Partido Popular ( PP ) for the illicit financing of its headquarters through the so-called B box . This sentence presents a series of measures that directly affect the defendants involved, including Luis Bárcenas and those responsible for the company in charge of the reforms, Gonzalo Urquijo and Belén García.
Although the judges have decided to partially uphold some appeals, the sentences for Bárcenas and the others involved have been significantly reduced. In the case of Urquijo and García, the sentence has been reduced from two years and nine months to nine months, which could prevent them from having to go to prison. For Bárcenas, the sentence has been reduced from two years to eight months.
Generally, the defrauded fee has decreased considerably, going from 873,000 euros to 374,000, however, the Partido Popular He remains held civilly liable for the full amount, thus ensuring that he must take charge of the unpaid tax quotas.
In a previous ruling, the National Court had already imposed penalties on Luis Bárcenas for the use of more than a million euros that were used to renovate the PP headquarters on Calle Génova from Madrid. This money, which came from parallel accounting, was used to carry out works on various levels of the building between 2005 and 2010.
The judges have pointed out that a large part of this money was not included in the official accounts, defining it as “black money” that was evaded from the public treasury.
Responsibilities of the Popular Party
The recommended control that should be exercised by the Partido Popular The report on Bárcenas' actions was considered inadequate and lacking in preventive measures during the period in question. This led to the Party assuming financial responsibility for the tax fraud that had occurred within it.
The Supreme Court also held that, although the case has not expired, the time elapsed since the case was opened should be considered a mitigating factor due to the delays that occurred.
This is not the first ruling that proves the existence of parallel accounting in the Partido Popular. The so-called papers of Bárcenas even corroborate certain transactions. One of the essential claims is that Bárcenas He managed funds from private donations that were reflected in unofficial accounting records. The papers document events that have been verified and demonstrate the connection between these funds and the use to which they were put within the Party.
Although some of those involved decided not to appeal, as is the case of Luis Bárcenas, he Partido Popular He made efforts to appeal the sentence, which were unsuccessful after the arrival of Alberto Núñez Feijóo to the party leadership.
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