Costa Blanca

Elche Court sentences former mayor of Santa Pola to six and a half years in prison

Section XI of the Elche-based Court sentenced Miguel Zaragoza, the former mayor of Santa Pola, to six and a half years in prison for malfeasance in conjunction with fraud (two years) and bribery (four and a half years) in the Gran Alacant Clinic case, following a complaint alleging labour patronage in favour of Popular Party members and his own sister, as well as exempting the company from the fee. Zaragoza is not the only person convicted; the ruling also finds the former Personnel Councillor, Jorge Perelló, and the clinic’s two managers, Fernando GS and Manuel RB, guilty and sentences them to the same prison terms for the same crimes, despite the fact that the latter two are considered necessary collaborators. The four must jointly and severally compensate the Santa Pola City Council for €109,371. The Gran Alacant Clinic has already paid €13,022. Pilar ZF, the councillor’s sister and partner, received a two-year and three-month prison sentence for being an accessory to bribery. The facility was also barred from obtaining any subsidies or tax breaks for the next four years. Three individuals were found not guilty: former councillor Loreto Cascales, Francisco Martín, and Antonio MG. The proceedings began with a complaint filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, and the City Council withdrew the accusations. It has taken more than a year to impose the penalty since the trial concluded.

The defendants Fernando G. S and Manuel RB worked as doctors in a private clinic in Gran Alacant on Avenida Escandinavia, according to the verdict. The former has worked there since 1989, while the latter had been a contractor since 2004. According to the verdict, the clinic “operated on municipal premises without paying any rent, nor did they pay for water, electricity, etc.” According to the ruling, after winning the elections in 2003, Zaragoza, who was mayor until 2015, approached the clinic and stated that “since they had been enjoying free use of the municipal premises, they should contribute to the hiring of an administrative assistant to provide services in the Social Security clinic that was to be opened in the same building and that Servasa was demanding from the City Council.” The councilman informed Fernando GS that the clinic’s administrative concession would be conditional on the appointment of an administrative assistant.

The granting process started the same month, with just Clínica Gran Alacant participating. The clinic was founded in March 2005 “in order to be eligible to participate in the award process.” It was controlled by defendants Manuel RB and Fernando GS, who served as administrator and attorney, respectively. On March 13th, 2006, the ten-year concession was granted. According to the agreement, the clinic would pay €10,920 per year, which may be countered or decreased by offering a medical service to manage temporary sick leave for municipal employees. The cost had to be paid in full for the first year, then in six-month payments. ” Despite knowing that they were in violation of the concession contract’s provisions, neither the mayor nor the Personnel Councillor “demanded compliance.” The clinic received three requests between 2008 and 2009 for noncompliance with the sick leave follow-up service. Without receiving a thorough response, Zaragoza and Perelló summoned the clinic’s administration to produce additional evidence because “they weren’t covering the fee, (…) going so far as to call them fools” during that meeting.

In August, the company abandoned the premises but left a consulting room available for a few hours per week, “which was not notified to the City Council.” The mayor and councillor decided “by mutual agreement” not to submit additional sick leave documents to the clinic due to “the concessionaire’s blatant failure to fulfil its obligation to monitor sick leave.” In 2012, the clinic’s floor space was lowered from 132 to 74 square metres, the cost was reduced to €6,176, and the sick leave monitoring service was replaced by a medical examination service. This alteration was implemented “with full awareness that the procedure was being followed de facto without proof in the file of a cause of public interest , without a hearing from the interested party, and without approval by the plenary session.” However, the fee was not paid.

The services now encompassed emergency treatment as well as general medicine. “This clause was breached by the concessionaire with the approval of the political leaders.” According to the verdict, the clinic was required to carry out improvement works totalling 10,842 euros, which the City Council paid to pass on to the concessionaire, but the money “was never claimed.” According to the verdict, the necessity to hire an administrative assistant “responded to the deliberate desire” of Zaragoza and Perelló to use their position to ensure that the clinic hired persons of their choice, which was completely supported by the concessionaire in exchange for not paying. “Those selected to work as assistants “were recruited because of their affinity or closeness to stated political leaders.”

Antonio MG succeeded Francisco MM, who had left the clinic on leave to join the PP’s 2011 candidate list and been elected councillor. The verdict stated that these two were unaware of the “false pact” between the politicians and the clinic. Therefore, they receive an acquittal. The third was Pilar ZF, a “politician’s sister and partner.” According to the decision, she “took advantage of her family relationship and stopped showing up to work without justification, knowing that she would face no negative consequences.” Despite not attending to work, she continued to receive her entire income from the clinic, which was agreed upon by the concessionaire in exchange for not having to execute her remaining contractual responsibilities.” City Hall employees filled her absence. Loreto Cascale, Gran Alacant’s councillor, was acquitted because she was unaware of the agreements reached by the now-convicted individuals.

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Related Topics:Council Court Crime Documents Elche Emergency Mayor Money Public Social Tax

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Costa Blanca

WhatsApp messages reveal Chloe’s murderers planned the crime

The Guardia Civil acquired WhatsApp conversations from the mobile phones of Cloe’s two alleged murders, indicating that they were preparing the crime. In the days leading up to the murder, they were explicit about how they planned to carry it out. Both suspects were certain that they had hidden their traces because the texts were ephemeral and were destroyed once read. However, the Guardia Civil was able to recover the communications, which had surrounded the two suspects. Yesterday, Friday May 16th, the second suspect testified before the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office and finally admitted to his involvement in the murder on the Orihuela Costa. Given the evidence gathered by investigators, the dead young woman’s ex-boyfriend confessed on Thursday as well. The messages are so clear that their primary defence is an attempt to minimise their responsibility for the crime. As a result, both accuse one another for the murder.

On November 24th, the eve of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, fifteen-year-old Cloe’s throat was severed. The investigation immediately led to a domestic violence incident, with the young woman’s ex-boyfriend as the primary suspect, who was apprehended a few hours later. However, evidence of a second suspect quickly emerged, and he was apprehended at the end of March. Apparently, one of them grabbed Chloe’s neck and attempted to strangle her, while the other slit her throat with a knife. Since their arrests, the two 17-year-olds under investigation for murder have been kept at a juvenile detention centre. They were brought to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office this week for questioning in response to evidence discovered by the Guardia Civil.

Attorney Iván Rodríguez Lorente, who is defending the second suspect, acknowledged that the young man had recognised his involvement in the murder and conveyed forgiveness to Cloe’s family. According to sources consulted by this newspaper, the second suspect stated that her lover had incited and compelled him to join. To persuade him to cooperate, he allegedly promised that if he helped carry out his plan, he would be more accepted by the group.

A version that contradicts that of the slain young woman’s ex-boyfriend, who spoke of a drug debt and claimed that the second suspect killed Cloe to teach her a lesson. Attorney Encarnación Obdulia Martínez represents a young man who admits to participating in the crime but claims he was compelled to do so by another suspect. The account-settling theory is disintegrating, as the inquiry has revealed no evidence linking the second suspect to narcotics trafficking. However, the investigation indicates that it was a sexist crime in which the main suspect enlisted the assistance of a buddy. Now they’re accusing each other for the murder.

The private prosecution, represented by lawyer Juan Carlos Fuentes on behalf of the family, has indicated that there is no mention of a drug debt in the proceedings, calling it “completely false.” It is a crime of gender violence committed by two minors who planned and carried it out. “The family would like to thank the Guardia Civil for its inquiry. It was so exhausting that the two minors had little to contribute, as they now admit. They have not made any statements that are not documented in the case.”

Although the particular content of these texts has not been released, sources have stated that they openly discuss the murder. Following the ex-boyfriend’s confession on Thursday, it was found that these communications were sent soon after the murder and as the two young men departed. However, it was revealed on Friday that there are pre-crime messages in which the two men plan the crime and discuss what they will do.

The second suspect’s presence before the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office lasted more than three hours yesterday, despite many occurrences. First, just as the event was about to begin, there was a surprise fire drill, forcing the whole Palace of Justice to evacuate. This resulted in the hearing commencing an hour later than planned. During the interrogation, the suspect became agitated and asked for a break to obtain some fresh air, stating he felt ill. Two pauses were required during the session.

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Costa Blanca

Dénia against LGBTIphobia: In the face of hate, fear, and intolerance… ‘Love will triumph’

The Dénia City Council’s Department of Equality and Diversity intends to honour the International Day Against LGBTI-phobia on May 17th with a message of courage and optimism, “because in the face of hatred, fear, and intolerance, love will prevail.”

From today until May 31st, the campaign message will be distributed via social media, online platforms, and billboards around the municipality.

“We have chosen a campaign that uses the now universal and popular gesture of joining hands and fingers to form a heart as a symbol of appreciation, with a visual language adapted to the new generations,” Javier Scotto, Diversity Councillor, tells me. “With these messages, we want to convey to citizens that, in the face of negative attitudes such as hatred, fear, and intolerance, which hurt, exclude, and divide, love liberates, heals, and unites society.”

Scotto adds that the campaign honours the twentieth anniversary of equal love, which secured same-sex couples the ability to marry, “which is equivalent to the legal, and later social, recognition of the existence of diverse love.” In the face of discrimination, emotional partnerships based on sexual variety have and will continue to win.”

“Given the current geopolitical climate, the International Day Against LGBTI-phobia is more than vital. This is not the time to demolish, roll back, or restrict legally gained rights; it is the time to be able to love whomever you want and, most importantly, to grow, progress, and advance equality and diversity,” Scotto adds.

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AP-7 tunnel at Pilar de la Horadada will be closed for at least 2 months

The accident that occurred a few days ago in the AP-7 tunnel in Pilar de la Horadada, in which a truck caught fire and killed its driver, has damaged the infrastructure to the point where it will be closed in the Alicante-Cartagena direction for at least two months, reaching the peak of the summer season.

An inspection found that the northern half of the tube’s lighting and communications circuits and the two fans closest to the fire are damaged and need to be evaluated by the manufacturer.

In addition, the protective elements, trays, video surveillance circuit, and half of the inside cameras were damaged. The dealership is installing outdoor spotlights to allow work to be done inside, beginning with scrubbing the walls using pressurised water.

All of this means that traffic cannot be restored in the impacted area for at least the next two months. Until then, traffic will be diverted to the N-332, which runs parallel for approximately 4 kilometres near the town of Pilar de la Horadada. As a result of the road closure, there are considerable traffic bottlenecks on this segment, which is a normal route with one lane in each direction and multiple roundabouts. This issue will deteriorate when the summer season begins.

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility intends to complete the essential repairs as well as the ongoing energy efficiency measures. However, to avoid more disruption for passengers, the upcoming work on the Alicante-bound tube will be postponed until at least September.

Although the infrastructure is the responsibility of the concessionaire Ausur, which manages the most expensive sections of motorway in Spain between La Zenia and Los Montesinos – while the section between Cartagena and Orihuela Costa and Los Montesinos-Crevillent that this concessionaire executed in exchange is free -, the funds being used for the work are Next Generation, European public funds, and the ministry – not the company – has processed the entire

This 800-meter-long tunnel, with an average daily traffic of 19,000 vehicles, opened in 1999 with the construction of the Ausur motorway, and is built and operated until 2048 by a private concessionaire led by large Murcian enterprises. It is free of charge in this part.

The Ministry had intended to begin a phase of work on Monday, May 25th, in the opposite lane where the accident happened, Cartagena-Alicante, which would require a closure, but after publicising the work only two hours after the tragedy, it eventually suspended the intervention.

The works are part of the Ministry’s €3.5 million project to modernise lighting and security systems. The investment will include the renovation of the power supply, emergency lighting, evacuation signage, emergency stations, public address systems, a fire hydrant network, ventilation systems, the installation of new automatic fire detection cameras, traffic control systems, and exterior tunnel closure barriers, among other projects.

The tunnel’s lighting system will also be modified to improve the facility’s energy efficiency by introducing an intelligent control and regulation mechanism. It will be necessary to replace the current VSAP luminaire technology with LED equipment that can be dimmed point by point.

The sophisticated lighting regulation and control system will enable continuous lighting regulation of individual units based on outside brightness and tunnel occupancy levels.

All of this has been postponed until September following the disaster last Friday, when a truck overturned within the AP-7 tunnel at Pilar de la Horadada at kilometre 272, travelling towards Cartagena. One of the wheels apparently burst while passing through the tunnel.

The 55-year-old driver, originally from Valencia, was delivering steel pipes when he lost control of the vehicle, which caught fire. When it overturned onto the cab’s carrier side, he became trapped and perished.

The mix of flammable elements, such as the truck’s own gasoline, plus the fact that it remained inside the tunnel exacerbated the fire, resulting in a tremendous volume of flames and smoke that spread throughout the infrastructure.

According to the Provincial Fire Consortium, another truck was involved in the accident but remained inside the tunnel and did not catch fire. Its driver managed to get out on his own.

Personnel from Torrevieja, Almoradí, Orihuela, and Elche parks cleared the remaining tunnel, resulting in no further casualties. Meanwhile, there were major traffic congestion on the highway from Alicante to Cartagena, as well as on the N-332’s alternative and parallel route.