Worse in San Fulgencio

The problems that the council face in Bigastro seem bad, then consider the situation in San Fulgencio where things are much worse.

Mark Lewis and fellow councillor and countryman, Mick Blake, decided to split with their fellow AIM member, Manuel Barrera amidst the chaos that has ensued in the Council at San Fulgencio and allied themselves with Trinidad Martinez the mayoress. Following this they have allegedly received death threats from Barrera, which they have reported to the police, although Barrera denies the allegations. Things seemed as if they were returning to some sort of normality when the Mayoress was arrested along with four of her councillors, although she has refused to resign from her post, insisting she will ‘see it through.’ She was arrested for apparently ‘employing’ the men - seen in the video that instigated the Barrera fiasco – who are apparently private detectives who were paid with town hall funds.

Lewis and Blake are two of just seven councillors left running the town and neither can speak the language at all well, but Lewis, from the AIM party, is the only Deputy Mayor who has not been arrested in what appears to be a hive of corruption in the Town Hall.   Lewis was fourth down the list, after the Mayoress, Trinidadad Garcia, who was arrested a couple of weeks ago, the Deputy Mayor, Manuel Barrera, who was arrested the previous week, Manuel Marti, second in command and Juan Antonio Gamuz, third in command, who have also been arrested. Lewis was probably as surprised to find himself with the reigns of power in his hands, if only for a day, as anyone else was. 

According to El Pais newspaper the arrests were made due to an alleged scheme that involved the videotaping of Barrera accepting a bribe of 5000 euros in exchange for his political support of a development project.  It is now believed this may have been a set-up of AIM councilor Manuel Barrera, who was arrested on October 20 after the video was circulated by La Verdad Newspaper. The transaction, in which Barrera could be heard saying “It’s better if you give me big bills, they take up less space,” was leaked.  After the scandal broke, Barrera turned the money over to investigators and was censured by the town council, which proceeded to approve the construction of 4,600 homes. Mayor Martínez, who denied having anything to do with the videotape scandal, was arrested along with two Socialist and two independents councillors. 

The council team found itself in a clear minority compared with the opposition.  It looks as if dissolution of the present council will be the only way to proceed now, and a temporary ruling body may have to be drawn up, similar to what happened in Marbella.  It appears that all the councilors are involved in “Operacion Barrera” except the AIM delegates.  The police chief, Bernardo Cortijo, were arrested for revealing secrets and the Security Councilor, Juan Antonio Gamuz, was latr released, but still faces charges.  The police investigation is centering on the fact that the Town Hall  changed the use of land without changing the Plan General. 

The remaining councilors are obviously worried about their own situation, and frustrated at the lack of information they are being given. 

The Spanish government may well step in and dissolve the council which will mean the town will be run by administrators until the next elections which is three years away.