Spain minister faces resignation calls over leak
Calls have increased on Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz to resign after a controversial conversation leaked to the media showing he sought ways to incriminate rivals.
Allegations against Diaz took a swipe Wednesday when various figures called on the embattled minister to resign just four days ahead of key elections in the country.
In the conversation published by the Publico website, Diaz and the head of Catalonia's anti-fraud office discussed ways of launching investigations against pro-independence politicians of the northeastern region, or their relatives.
Rivals of Diaz's conservative Popular Party (PP) demanded a swift resignation, with Pablo Iglesias, head of the anti-austerity Podemos party, saying Diaz apparently used his post to investigate political rivals.
“We have an interior minister, who should be protecting us all,” Iglesias said, adding, “I think this should trigger an immediate resignation.”
Diaz slammed the leaks as a conspiracy, but acknowledged that the meeting, which dates back to 2014, had taken place.
“... as for the content of these conversations, I remember the general gist, which was to meet a magistrate that heads up the anti-fraud office of the regional government, whose mission is to fight fraud and corruption,” Diaz said, calling claims of the interior minister conspiring against members of Catalonia's government as “surreal.”
He said an investigation has been launched by the police to find how the conversation was recorded and leaked.
Catalonia, a wealthy Spanish region, has for long seen a battle between separatist politicians and those of the pro-independence camp.
The PP is expected to come first in the June 26 general elections although it does not need an absolute majority.
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