The case goes on

During the years when José Joaquín Moya and Raul Valerio Medina were mayors, 48 ghost workers were registered under the Special Agricultural Scheme. It is alleged than none of them actually performed any tasks and were not registered on the council payroll.

Out of the 48, 45 are elderly women some of whom have direct ties to the former leaders of the council. The fraud allowed them access to social benefits and even pensions.

When the scam was at last detected, the council were fined 60,000 euros and the Labour Inspectorate cancelled over 750 months of payments which will have to be repaid by the people concerned.

Along with the exemption for 200 households from paying council tax, this was how the socialists ensured they had enough votes to maintain their position in the town.