A legal action, brought by the political party Ciudadanos, accusing the Mayor of Calasparra and two of his councilors of illegally claiming their salaries from public funds, has been thrown out by the court in Caravaca.
Ciudadanos alleged that the Mayor, José Velez and two of his councilors, Jordi Arce and Antonio Moreno, had claimed salaries to which they were not entitled. The period in question corresponds to several weeks last summer when the courts suspended their salaries while another complaint (also thrown out) by the opposition was being considered.
Giving evidence at the judicial hearing on Monday the Mayor told the court that during this period Jordi Arce and Antonio Merino had worked full time at the Town Hall, attending to citizens of Calasparra, without being paid a penny from public funds, after the Court froze their salaries.
The Mayor told a Press Conference yesterday he would never be embarrassed when called on to defend his honour and the honour of his colleagues. However, he said, Ciudadanos should be embarrassed that they published photos of the Mayor in Court when the Court had found that their claims were unfounded.
“Rather than hurt us, as they planned, they have been made to look ridiculous,” he added.
