RODRIGO Rato, a former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, appeared in a court in Madrid Monday as he seeks to defend himself over corporate credit card spending in a case that has become a symbol of excesses by Spain’s former savings banks.Rato is among 65 officials at Bankia SA and its founding savings bank Caja Madrid ordered to face trial accused of misusing credit cards from 2003 to 2012, running up combined bills of more than €12m, the National Court said in February. The Black Cards case as it has been dubbed in the Spanish media is being heard at a court in San Fernando de Henares, near Madrid. Rato arrived in court at 9.40 am.The case comes to trial as Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy attempts to muster support for a second term in office while a string of corruption allegations swirl around officials in his People’s Party. As well as Rato’s credit card case — he was a former deputy prime minister for the PP in the government of Jose Maria Aznar — a num...
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