Councillor for Industry and Tourism and President of AIM has been suspended

• Manuel Barrera, the Deputy Mayor of San Fulgencio, Councillor for Industry and Tourism and President of AIM has been suspended from all current duties at the Town Hall following allegations of corruption. The Spanish newspaper "La Verdad" (The Truth) has published photographs and a transcript of a conversation that Manuel Barrera is alleged to have had, during a meeting last month with two businessmen, who were thought to be investors and builders from Barcelona.

• The newspaper's website, www.laverdad.es, also featured video footage of the meeting, which made compelling viewing.

• The meeting took place in a restaurant in Valencia and was videoed by a third person whose identity is as yet unknown.

• It would appear that initial contact with the two men was made during a tourism fair during the month of August. The contents of the tape clearly shows Manuel Barrera sitting at a table with another two men, one sitting either side. During the course of the meeting, an envelope is seen to change hands from one of the businessmen and is given over to Manuel Barrera.

• From the conversation, it would appear that the content of the envelope is a payment of €5000 in large notes. This is alleged to have been a token payment from the businessmen to show their commitment to the deal.

THE DEAL

• The alleged deal was to allow planning permission for the building of several thousand high value houses, a Casino and Hotel and a golf course in the quarry region of La Escuera in La Marina Urbanisation. Also in the video, from the conversation, it becomes apparent that the alleged deal was to continue with monthly payments to Manuel Barrera until May 2011. (This is when the next municipal elections would take place.) Had this been the case, the total being paid over would amount to between €200000 and €240000.

• In part of the transcript, Manuel Barrera is heard to say that he does not give away his work as a gift. He states that his time is his own and what he likes to do is to spend it with his family, on his boat, fishing and sailing and with his dogs. He goes on to say that people have to pay him for the benefit of his knowledge and his experience as it is of value.

• When Manuel Barrera was approached by a reporter for La Verdad, he initially denied all knowledge of any money changing hands. When he was presented with the fact that there was video evidence to the contrary, he is alleged to have said that he did have a meeting with a Catalan group who had arranged to give him money, to help finance the party of Agrupacion Independiente Mediterraneo (AIM).

• He admitted to La Verdad that the AIM was ignorant of the existence of the envelope and the money.

• On Friday morning as the news broke, a hastily convened press conference was arranged at San Fulgencio Town Hall. Along with reporters from Spanish Newspapers there appeared a local television crew. At 1 pm the Mayor, Trinidad Martinez along with the remaining members of the ruling council in the Town Hall answered questions from the press. She went on at length to say that she and the rest of the councillors were shocked to hear the allegations, but had no idea that Barrera had been in talks with any individuals over the proposed plans for the quarry area. Martinez defended the other two councillors of AIM, Mike Blake and Mark Lewis stating that they were completely in the dark about the whole affair. She went on to say that as far as the Town Hall was concerned, Manuel Barrera is suspended from his duties along with all of his council privileges and it is now up to the judges to decide his guilt or innocence. As the grim faced AIM councillors left the building, an attempt by the CoastRider to interview both of them was met with a, "No comment at this time."

OPPOSITION PARTY

• As soon as the Town Hall finished their press conference, Maria Asuncion Prieto, the leader of the Partido Popular, one of the council's opposition parties, called her own press conference at the PP party office in San Fulgencio.

• Through the auspices of translator Paulino Herrero, Prieto stated that for years the town of San Fulgencio has had to put up with major financial irregularities and it was time that honesty prevailed. She also put into words what many local residents are now feeling - this is a huge blow to the town and it could do much damage to the area's reputation.

• Prieto could not believe that when such major plans for the expansion of housing and development were such public knowledge, and that they would have been discussed before a full meeting of the ruling Junta, that no one else was aware of Manuel Barrera's meetings in Valencia.

• She reminded everyone of the pre election promises of AIM and Manuel Barrera that he and his party were totally against the construction of any more houses in the area. He had promised that the area concerned would be a bird sanctuary and that only a golf course and the necessary buildings to go along with it would be constructed. Prieto also commented that it is strange that here we are now with accusations that Barrera has been involved in taking alleged bribes to have thousands of houses built in the quarry.

• She went on to say that it was only a matter of time before dishonest councillors in Spain would be brought before the judges.

• Only two days before this story broke, I interviewed Manuel Barrera after the 2008 budget went before the council and was approved. At this time, he stated that the plan was to turn the quarry into an archaeological park. He did say that there were plans to have quality houses built along with a top class hotel on the hill with a casino. He also said that he had been in talks with several entrepreneurs and investors, but needless to say there was no hint of what was to come.

• A spokesperson for the Policia Local said that such an investigation would be out of their jurisdiction and it would either be officers from the Policia National or the Guardia Civil who would carry out the investigations.