Contract court probe claims councillor
Case relates to accusations by company awarded the road maintenance contract for Orihuela Costa
ORIHUELA councillor Ángel Noguera has been relieved of his control over the departments for infrastructure, services, works and maintenance.
For the short remainder of this term of office, these departments will be taken over by mayoress Carolina Gracia.
This decision was announced after it was revealed that the Ciudadanos party (Cs) councillor has been called to testify on June 15 at a local court for alleged abuse of his powers.
The case relates to accusations by the concessionary company awarded the road maintenance contract for Orihuela Costa, Zaplana Caselles and the opposition Partido Popular (PP).
C’s responded to details of these allegations revealed by regional Spanish newspapers with a statement, also obtained by Costa Blanca News, claiming the accusation by PP councillor Rafael Almagro is ‘merely electioneering and a payback’.
They alleged that Sr Almagro had ordered payment of Zaplana Caselles’ invoices despite C’s objections based on a municipal technician report certifying that the company had not fulfilled certain clauses of its contract, including installation of a warehouse.
C’s also said that on March 7 the infrastructure department notified Zaplana Caselles that the company was using materials and personnel related to the contract for work outside the municipality without the town hall’s authorisation, but received no reply, and formally notified them of the contract violations on March 21.
They assured there had been ‘no irregularity’ by the councillor, who was ‘strictly defending the general interests of Orihuela and its residents, who should not spend a single cent to pay for services not provided’.
C’s added that once Sr Noguera knew about the accusation, he asked the mayoress on Friday to be relieved of his duties regarding the contract until the proceedings have been resolved.
There have been additional problems with the Orihuela Costa road maintenance contract since the town hall’s contract to supply the company with the materials required to carry out its work expired months ago, and a new one was only put out to tender last Thursday.
Cabo Roig and Lomas residents’ association (AVCRL) said this means the lack of materials will probably continue until the beginning of summer, ‘with very negative consequences for the maintenance of the coast’s roads, which already have extremely serious deficiencies’.
Unusually, opposition parties Cambiemos and the Partido Popular (PP) made the same criticisms, arguing that Sr Noguera should have been relieved of his duties when he and C’s colleague Luisa Boné were called to testify in March on suspicion of the same offence over a separate allegation, made by opposition party Cambiemos, in relation to the contract to manage green areas in Orihuela Costa.
Both parties also noted that Sr Noguera had been allowed to keep his place, and vote, on the local government committee (JGL), and his salary as a deputy mayor, despite no longer having any work to do.