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| Spain PM Mariano Rajoy denies 'false' slush fund claim | Spain PM Mariano Rajoy denies 'false' slush fund claim |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has described allegations that he and others benefited from secret party accounts as "false". | Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has described allegations that he and others benefited from secret party accounts as "false". |
| Mr Rajoy said he had never received any under-hand payments - and would publish his income and financial statements. | Mr Rajoy said he had never received any under-hand payments - and would publish his income and financial statements. |
| El Pais newspaper published photographs of ledgers showing payments to Popular Party figures on Thursday. | El Pais newspaper published photographs of ledgers showing payments to Popular Party figures on Thursday. |
| It said Mr Rajoy had collected 25,200 euros (£22,000; $34,000) a year between 1997 and 2008. | It said Mr Rajoy had collected 25,200 euros (£22,000; $34,000) a year between 1997 and 2008. |
| Mr Rajoy and his party were elected by a landslide in November 2011 on a promise to reduce the high public deficit. | |
| 'Two words' | |
| Addressing the PP national executive meeting in an extraordinary session to discuss the El Pais allegations in Madrid, Mr Rajoy said: "I need only two words: it's false." | |
| "I have never received nor distributed undeclared money," he said, adding he would publish on the party's website all his tax declarations to clear up the scandal. | |
| The El Pais said the photographs it published were of ledgers kept by former treasurers Luis Barcenas and Alvaro Lapuerta between 1990 and 2009. | |
| Money was allegedly paid by outside firms via Mr Barcenas, who stepped down in 2009 and is currently under investigation for money-laundering. | |
| Investigators recently revealed that Mr Barcenas held a Swiss bank account which at one point held as much as 22m (£19m; $30m) euros. | |
| Until 2007, Spanish political parties were allowed to receive anonymous donations. | |
| Spaniards have been asked to accept painful austerity measures as the government battles to avoid an international bailout. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has reached a record 26%. | |
| The allegations raise ethical questions about the Popular Party's dealings during the period of Spain's building boom, when politicians granted large numbers of development contracts. | |
| The party has denied making any "systematic payment to certain people of money other than their monthly wages". |