Spain: the former IMF director Rodrigo Rato at the center of an investigation for money laundering

Rodrigo Rato, former director of the IMF from 2004 to 2007, is currently under investigation for "laundering, fraud and concealment of assets."

Thursday detained for several hours, the time that investigators search at his home and at his office in Madrid, he was left free in the night. The search resumed Friday morning.

The former Minister of Economy has already prosecuted in two other cases. It is charged with fraud, embezzlement and forgery committed account in connection with the IPO of Bankia bank he directed from 2010 to 2012. He is also charged with fraudulent use of cards Credit Caja, a savings of Bankia bank. This bank was close to bankruptcy in 2012, ruining hundreds of thousands of small shareholders.

For most commentators, the former head of the IMF is the scapegoat of the Popular Party (PP) head of government Mariano Rajoy accused of not effectively fight against corruption indignant Spaniards.

For its part, the PP denies having sacrificed Rodrigo Rato, former rival Mariano Rajoy to head the party. "It would be outrageous to believe that this case arranges the PP, it would suffer enormous damage," said Friday the spokesman of the party in the European Parliament, Esteban Gonzalez, on television.

This case is an episode in the long series of corruption scandals in the Spanish political and released in recent months. The Popular Party (PP) as the Socialist Party (PSOE) are affected. Public opinion discovers every day new revelations about the embezzlement of men and women politicians as the country is experiencing significant election year.

The scandal also promotes the emergence of new political forces whose image is not tarnished by the business: the anti capitalist left party Podemos and Ciudadanos center-right party.

With AFP