Former Orihuela Coast Councillor Martina Scheurer made a short court docket look on Wednesday, just for the listening to to be postponed as a result of sickness of her co-defendant’s solicitor.
Scheurer stands trial alongside Thomas Herteux, businessman and supervisor of Chirunguitos del Sol, in a case associated to the 2014 awarding of seaside bar contracts in Orihuela Costa. She faces costs of fraud and revealing privileged data, whereas Herteux is accused of fraud and dangers disqualification from authorities contracts.
The prosecution alleges that the tender course of was manipulated to favour Chirunguitos del Sol, resulting in the contested awarding of the contract—claims each defendants strongly deny.
In response to sources, the case has been admitted to court docket primarily based on speculative statements from the prosecution, resembling “I feel” Ms. Scheurer met Mr. Herteux and “I assume” that they had a gathering—regardless of an absence of supporting proof. Commenting on the case, Scheurer remarked, “There isn’t a proof as a result of I did nothing flawed.”
A key problem within the case seems to be the requirement for the profitable bidder to carry the internationally recognised ‘Q for Vacationer High quality Certification.’ Given the public-facing nature of the contract, this requirement appears neither uncommon nor unreasonable.
In fact there are a lot of municipalities throughout Spain that require their Seashore Bar Administration firms to be in possession of the Q for High quality Accreditation. Orihuela isn’t any completely different, with the choice to incorporate the situation taken by a council committee made up of representatives from the coast, with members appointed by contracts and by the authorized division.
Scheurer was merely a member of that committee. On the time, not one among them was conscious of the credentials held by any of the bidding firms. The inclusion of the Q for High quality Accreditation was nothing greater than a call made to make sure the supply of a superior service to Orihuela’s beachgoers.
Nonetheless, Ms. Scheurer is accused of informing Herteux of this requirement earlier than the official tender specs had been revealed. The prosecution argues that by receiving this data upfront, Chirunguitos del Sol gained an unfair benefit, because it allowed them extra time to acquire the mandatory certification—allegedly undermining free competitors and the environment friendly use of public funds.
Nonetheless, what the prosecution fails to spotlight is that this was a nationwide tender, open to any certified firm throughout Spain. Moreover, obtainable information point out that Chirunguitos del Sol had already obtained its ‘Q for Vacationer High quality Certification’ in 2012—one yr earlier than Ms. Scheurer first met Thomas Herteux, and in addition a yr earlier than she took workplace as Councillor for the Coast.
Neither of the choice bidders, each of which took the council to Court docket, had any form of high quality certification, so that they had been compelled to withdraw their bids.
However for her half, Scheurer believes her conscience to be completely clear. “All the things was meticulously checked on the time to make sure compliance. The tender course of was painstakingly adopted and if the contract was awarded to Chirunguitos del Sol it was solely as a result of they had been the most effective firm for the job,” she mentioned.
Relying on the lawyer’s restoration, the case is now anticipated to start on twenty sixth February or twelfth of March, which was when the next classes had been scheduled to be held.
A number of key figures, together with former mayor Monserrate Guillén Sáez, present Socialist councillor Carolina Gracia (who was Finance, Youth, and Festivities councillor on the time), and normal secretary Virgilio Estremera, are additionally anticipated to testify as witnesses in the course of the trial.
