MADRID — The former treasurer at the heart of a slush-fund scandal that has undermined Spain’s governing Popular Party accused Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday of knowing “from the beginning” about the party’s illegal payments.
Luis Bárcenas, the former party treasurer, made the claim against Mr. Rajoy a day after posting bail and leaving a jail near Madrid, where he had been awaiting trial on charges including tax fraud and bribery. His accusation, made to reporters outside Spain’s national court, came as the party gathered for a convention to prepare for a critical election year.
Mr. Bárcenas left prison on Thursday afternoon after a judge allowed him to post bail of 200,000 euros, almost $225,000, saying he no longer presented a flight risk pending his trial. He had been held since June 2013, after the Swiss authorities revealed that he had amassed millions of euros in Swiss banks and other offshore accounts. He was accused of running a slush fund to channel corporate kickbacks to senior party officials.
–
In Catalonia, the region’s governing Convergence party is also struggling to distance itself from the party’s founder, Jordi Pujol, who is set to go on trial alongside other members of his family. Mr. Pujol admitted in July that he had committed tax fraud. The Pujol affair comes ahead of a critical election in September in Catalonia that secessionist politicians are hoping will accelerate the region’s drive toward independence, despite strong opposition from Madrid.
A version of this article appears in print on January 24, 2015, on page A7 of the New York edition with the headline: Spain: New Accusation Rekindles Slush-Fund Scandal. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
