Buenavista Ex-Mayor Awaits Verdict in Two-Decade Corruption Case

The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife recently heard a case involving alleged corruption and misuse of public money within the Buenavista del Norte City Council. The trial, which concerns former socialist mayor Aurelio Abreu and municipal secretary-auditor Francisco Javier Bardón, has now concluded and awaits a verdict.

During the proceedings, the Public Prosecutor's Office reduced its request to ban the defendants from public office from eight to four years. This reduction was due to what prosecutors called "significant, unreasonable delays" in processing the case, which dates back two decades.

The controversy began in early 2006 when the council directly awarded a contract to the architectural firm Cuende y Gutiérrez to design a care center for people with disabilities, without holding a public tender. This followed the council's approval of the initiative in 2005 and a request for a grant from the Canary Islands Government. Architect Ramiro Cuende, a partner in the firm and a former socialist councilor in Santa Cruz, quoted €180,000 for the design work, with an additional €90,000 for construction management. The council received a specific grant of €162,000, which was paid to the firm in 2007, but the building itself was never constructed.

The initial complaint was filed in 2011 by the political group Sí Se Puede (SSP) after Antonio José González became mayor. González grew suspicious when he tried to move the project forward and found the project file missing from the Urban Planning department. The Public Prosecutor's Office joined the accusation in 2018.

The accusers claim the contract was "hand-picked" to benefit the architect and that the project, for which public funds were paid out, was not completed by the stated deadline, but was either recovered or drafted much later. Architect Cuende himself testified that the project was lost during an office move and a computer system change, only to be found in 2012 with the help of a computer expert. The private prosecution sees this as a key point supporting their suspicions.

In court, former mayor Aurelio Abreu refused to answer questions from the private prosecution. He stated that he signed the relevant documents believing everything was legal, trusting the work of civil servants and managers. He denied any involvement in the discussions for the direct contract, even though regulations at the time would have allowed him to participate.

Secretary-auditor Francisco Javier Bardón, who only responded to his own defense lawyer, denied any role in awarding the contract and said he was never asked to provide a report on the file. He justified his signature on the payment to the firm by citing the "doctrine of unjust enrichment," arguing it was for work he considered had been delivered.

Councilors who were in charge of Urban Planning or Social Services at the time denied starting the project file, instead attributing that responsibility to the Governing Board. However, they defended the direct award to Cuende y Gutiérrez, calling it the "most suitable option." They pointed to the firm's previous experience building an adjacent occupational center, which they believed would ensure "continuity in its functionality and aesthetics." Some councilors recalled meetings where the municipal secretary would have been present, though Bardón's defense countered this with earlier investigation statements where his presence was not remembered. The councilors consistently described the secretary as "meticulous, thorough, and rigorous," making them find it unusual that he wouldn't have flagged any irregularities if they existed.