MADRID – The former president of Spain’s Valencia region has been acquitted in a high-profile corruption case, a ruling that’s a big relief for the ruling conservative party.
A jury ruled 5-4 Wednesday that Francisco Camps was innocent of charges he accepted bribes, 30,000 euros($39,000) in suits, from a network of business people, whose leader is now in custody, in exchange for handing out lucrative government contracts.
Another senior official of the Popular Party in Valencia, Ricardo Costa, was also acquitted. Camps won re-election in May while being probed but later resigned after being charged.