Madrid - A new corruption scandal hit Spain's main opposition conservative People's Party (PP) on Friday, as press reports said police had discovered illegal party financing operations in Valencia. The eastern region is a stronghold of the PP, a number of whose members are under investigation for allegedly taking bribes from companies seeking public contracts in several regions.
Part of the Valencia bribe money was used to finance the party with the consent of high-level party officials, the dailies El Pais and El Mundo reported.
A Valencia court which included conservative judges allegedly declined to investigate the allegations.
Valencia regional Prime Minister Francisco Camps, of the PP, was earlier acquitted of bribery charges in accepting expensive gifts such as suits.
PP representatives rejected the accusations of illegal financing, describing them as a possible "frame-up." The party has accused Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government of a judicial witch-hunt against it.
