Spanish investigations

Catalan politicians aren't the only public officials in Spain summoned before the courts. The past week has seen the first stage of the sprawling Gürtel case approach its conclusion after more than 13 months of hearings from 37 defendants, among them Francisco Correa, the businessman at the center of the kickbacks for public contracts scheme and former Popular Party treasurer Luis Bárcenas. The State Prosecutor in the case told the court: "these are extremely serious crimes... the defendants attacked the state of law and it will be very difficult to repair the damage they've done to society."