Police and media gather outside Spanish court with PM Rajoy set to appear as witness
Record ID:
904233
Police and media gather outside Spanish court with PM Rajoy set to appear as witness
- Title: Police and media gather outside Spanish court with PM Rajoy set to appear as witness
- Date: 26th July 2017
- Summary: SAN FERNANDO DE HENARES, SPAIN (JULY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COURT POLICE AT COURT ENTRANCE MEDIA OUTSIDE COURT POLICE VANS PARKED OUTSIDE COURT POLICEMAN CLOSING POLICE VAN DOOR WITH MEDIA LINED ON THE BACKGROUND MEDIA AND POLICE LINED OUTSIDE COURT POLICE CAR PARKED AT ROADSIDE VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS OUTSIDE COURT EXTERIOR OF COURT WITH POLICE OUTSIDE
- Embargoed: 9th August 2017 07:30
- Keywords: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy appear as a witness slush fund trial corruption
- Location: SAN FERNANDO DE HENARES, SPAIN
- City: SAN FERNANDO DE HENARES, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0016RCSEH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Police and media gathered at a court on the outskirts of Madrid on Wednesday (July 26) with Mariano Rajoy set to become the country's first sitting prime minister to be called to court when he appears as a witness in a long-running graft trial that has rocked his conservative party and hurt him at the ballot box.
Rajoy returned to power for a second term last October with a severely diminished mandate, after a series of corruption scandals tainted several members of his People's Party (PP) and turned off voters.
The prime minister's court appearance turns the spotlight back on one of the most prominent cases at a delicate time for Rajoy, who no longer enjoys a majority in parliament and has to scrape together votes to get laws through.
The trial follows a long graft investigation into several city councils which are alleged to have received illegal financing from a network of companies.
Rajoy had sought to testify by video conference, arguing that the journey to the court of San Fernando de Henares would be a waste of taxpayer money but the request was denied by Spain's High Court. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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