Health Minister Ana Mato resigns after court summons in graft case

Ana Mato, Spanish minister of health, resigned on 26 November 2014 being summonsed to appear in court over her alleged involvement in a network of corrupt businessmen and politicians.

This was so far the most senior politician in Spain to be hit by the so-called Gürtel investigation which uncovered a kickbacks-for-contracts scheme.

The Spain Report reported on the 3 December 2014 that Spanish P rime Minister Mariano Rajoy appointed his media-friendly parliamentary spokesman Alfonso Alonso Aranegui as the new Health Minister in the run up to the country’s general election in 2015.

Euronews, 26.11.14: Spain Health Minister Ana Mato quits over ‘benefits’ from kickback scheme http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/26/spain-health-minister-ana-mato-quits-over-benefits-from-kickback-scheme/

BBC News, 26.11.14: Spain Health Minister Ana Mato resigns amid Gurtel scandal http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30220258

The Local.es, 26.11.14: Health minister steps down over graft probe http://www.thelocal.es/20141126/health-minister-steps-down-over-graft-probe

Expansión, 27.11.14: Law must crack down on corrupt politicians (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE154393-Law-must-crack-down-on-corrupt-politicians

ESO: Background information: Massive anti-corruption raids rattle Spain http://www.europeansources.info/record/massive-anti-corruption-raids-rattle-spain/

Deutsche Welle, 26.11.14: Spain Health Minister Ana Mato resigns over scandal http://dw.de/p/1DuIF

Euronews, 27.11.14: Spain PM Rajoy asks for pardon over party corruption scandal http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/27/spain-pm-rajoy-presents-anti-corruption-measures-amid-party-scandal/

The Spain Report, 03.12.14: Rajoy Appoints PP Parliamentary Spokesman Alfonso Alonso As Spain’s New Health Minister https://www.thespainreport.com/12971/rajoy-appoints-pp-parliamentary-spokesman-alfonso-alonso-spains-new-health-minsiter/

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