The Ombudsman urges Barcala to deliver documents related to his management of public funds

The Ombudsman has demanded that the popular government team in the Alicante City Council deliver documents related to their management of public funds from the Alicante City Council, according to a statement from the Socialist Municipal Group. The Valencian Ombudsman has sided with the PSPV of Alicante after a complaint about "the refusal of municipal officials to provide documentation from the Treasury department." Spokesperson Ana Barceló emphasized that "this is not an isolated incident but a systematic practice by Barcala's government to try to prevent their management from being audited."

"Barcala acts with obscurantism and undemocratically to prevent the opposition from auditing decisions made in the City Council. He not only hides economic information related to all Alicante residents' public money but also prevents us from obtaining copies of significant files such as those leading to the biggest urban scandal of his tenure as mayor, such as irregularities linked to the construction of a private hospital in Vistahermosa." In this regard, the socialist spokesperson demanded "maximum transparency" from the mayor and warned that the Socialist Group "will continue scrutinizing everything he does and working to defend the interests of all Alicante residents."

Specifically, the Ombudsman has requested that the PP government deliver copies of decrees incorporating credit balances into the 2024 municipal budget issued to date and a list of committed balances indicating project, amount, and affected budget item. This is documentation that the main opposition group has been requesting. The Treasury Department "has denied copies of this documentation so far," say the socialists, "citing an alleged need to ensure data confidentiality, an argument that the Valencian Ombudsman dismantles."

In this regard, the Ombudsman's resolution issued following a complaint filed by socialist councilor Silvia Castell states: "If representatives elected by universal suffrage encounter obstacles in performing their ordinary functions, not only is their fundamental right to exercise their public office directly violated, but also, albeit indirectly, improper obstacles are placed on citizens' full right to participate in public affairs, a cornerstone of our democratic system." For all these reasons, it urges Barcala's government to provide the complainant with copies of the requested decree files.