The final Gürtel trial begins, the plot that ended Rajoy's presidency.

BarcelonaThe first ruling in the Gürtel scandal, in 2018, ended Mariano Rajoy's presidency. It followed the vote of no confidence promoted by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), which ousted the former PP president from the Moncloa Palace and brought Pedro Sánchez to power. The National Court sentenced businessman Francisco Correa to 51 years in prison for leading the scheme to extort commissions from PP politicians in exchange for contracts with companies in its network, but also sentenced the party's former treasurer, Luis Bárcenas, to 33 years in prison, and the PP as a legal entity. Seven years later, the National Court is once again bringing the main suspects in the scandal to trial in the final Gürtel case.

This Monday, the trial begins on what is considered the centerpiece of this massive case, which was divided into thirteen branches. Francisco Correa and his right-hand man, Pablo Crespo, are again accused, along with about twenty other suspects. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office is seeking 77 years in prison for both leaders of the plot for alleged crimes against the Public Treasury for concealing assets and laundering ill-gotten gains. However, both Correa and Crespo are going to trial after seeking a deal with the Prosecutor's Office to obtain a reduced sentence in exchange for admitting to the crimes of which they are accused.

Thus, in the document sent to the National Court, to which the Efe news agency has had access, Correa admits, for example, that he had money hidden mainly in Switzerland, and that at a certain point he tried to regularize his situation, but that Blanco Balín, the financial mastermind of the plot, was arranged by Soleado, who, he said, used figures such as King Juan Carlos I when he hid money in Switzerland. After 10 years in prison, Correa allowed €20.7 million to be released to cover civil liability.

Apart from the 2018 sentence, over the last few years there have been a dozen trials related to this plot, and the judge has confirmed that from 1999 to 2009 this network manipulated public tenders to profit through duplicate items and unfolded margins. All this, in addition to commissions and gifts to PP politicians in exchange for contract awards. The PP, in this regard, has been convicted three times: for profiting during the first phase of the Gürtel scandal, which earned it a fine of 245,000 euros; for the Boadilla del Monte plot, in which the judge imprisoned its mayor, Arturo González Panero, and for which the PP had to pay 204,198 euros; and for being a subsidiary civil party liable for the construction of the headquarters, which was paid for with black money.

Are Correa and Crespo still in prison?

The two leaders of the plot, Correa and Crespo, were imprisoned in 2017, but have been serving time on the third degree for some time after serving half of their sentences. Correa decided to cooperate with the justice system from the initial sentencing to obtain prison benefits, while Bárcenas initially denied the crimes but later reached an agreement with the court. The former PP treasurer obtained the third degree a year ago after serving time in Soto del Real prison and a social integration center.