SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS PRISON FOR FORMER TORREVIEJA MAYOR

The Supreme Court has today issued notice that they have upheld the three year prison sentence given to the former Mayor of Torrevieja, Pedro Ángel Hernández Mateo of the Partido Popular, rejecting his plea to have the case dismissed as not being solely responsible for the offences he was previously found guilty for committing falsehood and prevarication in awarding the contract for garbage collection, valued at 97.8 million euro, awarded in 2004..

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The final appeal hearing was held earlier this month, in which the defence pleaded his case that other people in the town hall were behind the contract award process, whereas the prosecutor also sought confirmation that he was the one responsible.

The former mayor was sentenced in November 2012 by the High Court of Valencia to three years in prison and seven in disqualification, for, according to the sentence, the manipulated of the bidding process which was “arbitrary and prejudicial to the public interest” and to the other companies who had bid.

The translation of the court document declared that Mateo had no place to appeal for violation of the law and Constitutional precept, brought by the legal representation of the defendant PEDRO HERNANDEZ ANGEL MATEO, against judgment of the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community, Civil and Criminal Divisions, dated November 30 of 2012, in the case for the crime of forgery of official documents and prevarication. We condemn this appellant to pay the costs incurred in this action.

The former council leader was also fined for his involvement which also prompted his resignation from his seat in the regional government.