Mayor accuses predecessor of making 'irregular' payments

Gremio vehicle at International
Music Festival (© A.Bullrich)

Previous Council soon to be denounced for embezzlement

JIMENA (Agencies) Guillermo Ruiz (PP), Mayor of Jimena, yesterday announced that he and his team have recently discovered evidence of allegedly illegal payments to two companies by the previous Council headed by Pascual Collado (PSOE). Ruiz pointed out that these were monies that had been 'recognised' (or accepted) and paid without proper bills or receipts. Such is the case with Gremio, a company that was hired by the Council to help with the International Music Festivals, and which does similar work for other councils but only those of the socialist persuasion with less than 20,000 inhabitants. The other company allegedly implicated in this network of doubtful payments is one that has never had its relationship with the Town Hall clarified but got work without entering any tender. This too had bills accepted and paid for. On another related matter, Ruiz announced that his team has a series of suits prepared and ready for presentation soon, accusing the previous government of misappropriation of funds. This is related to the fact that the Council received grants of €250,000 to restore the castle and another €400,000 to build a geriatric centre in Estación, but the money was used for other things, which is the cause behind which Jimena is having so much trouble receiving its share of the Junta's PICA funds and has already had several properties embargoed.