Laurence Dollimore
EX-Junta de Andalucia president Jose Antonio Grinan has been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the ERE scandal.
He has also been banned from public office for 15 years for perverting the course of justice.
It comes as 20 others learned of their fate today after being accused of being part of or helping to cover up an €855 million slush fund which saw politicians embezzle public money destined for grants for retired workers and the unemployed over a 10-year period.
Grinan’s predecessor Manuel Chaves avoided prison but has been barred from public office for nine years for perverting the course of justice.
The 21 defendants were summoned at 12:00 on Tuesday to receive a paper and digital copy of the more than 1,700 pages that make up the sentencing.
At least 13 others received six to eight years in prison while all have been banned from serving public office for at least 10 years.
The ERE scandal saw almost €1 billion stolen from the coffers of the Junta de Andalucia over a 10-year period.
It saw mostly politicians from the PSOE-run Junta embezzle public money meant for unemployed and retired workers.
In total, at least €855 million were stolen.
The investigation, which began back in 2011, had to be subdivided into multiple cases – one for each company that benefited from an irregular ERE (grant) or made an improper use of those funds.
Millions were handed out to companies and friends via grants which prosecutors described as ‘totally opaque’ and way out of legal purview.
It is regarded as one of the biggest corruption cases in Spanish history.
