Caja Navarra scandal

Caja Navarra (CAN) is a merger of two entrenched savings banks renowned for their proximity to the Navarrese people, and considered a sign of identity, as well as a symbol of Navarre's economic solvency and autonomy.

The fallout of the scandal affected high- and mid-ranking officials of the regional party UPN (Unión del Pueblo Navarro) who held political and managerial positions both within the bank and the Government of Navarre.

[2] It was revealed that Yolanda Barcina, Miguel Sanz, Álvaro Miranda, and Enrique Maya got paid 2,860 and 1,717 euros each for participating in one-hour meetings (two consecutively) of a ghostly Permanent Board, held 16 times.

In the period extending from 2004 to 2011, the estimated figure in bonuses to representatives of political, social and cultural agencies affiliated to Caja Navarra (including Ricardo Martín Fluxa, a Spanish ex-Secretary of State for Security, or Javier Iturbe, PSN ex-president and member of the Board of Directors) amounted to 4,3 million euros.

Opposition parties (Geroa Bai, EH Bildu, Izquierda-Ezkerra) other than the Spanish Conservatives (PP) lashed out at the Socialists for attempting to constrain the range of topics to be addressed in the scrutiny, as well as allowing with their abstention to propel the party UPN, allegedly responsible for Caja Navarra's demise and main opponent to the parliamentary investigation, to chair the investigation panel and hold a critical position.