Orihuela court number 2 has received a complaint from the Public Prosecutor in relation to financial aid that Orihuela CF received from the council during the time that Mónica Lorente was mayoress.
The accusations were first made 8 years ago, during which time we are told it has been in the ‘investigation’ phase.
It was back in February 2017 that the National Police first summoned the former mayor and nine other people, including former councillors, civil servants and businessmen, to testify at the Orihuela Police Station, in the framework of an investigation initiated by the Money Laundering Brigade and the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit, for alleged irregularities in subsidies granted to Orihuela CF between 2008 and 2010, a sum which exceeded 900,000 euros.
Now the Spanish press is now reporting that the investigation has been opened once again for the alleged crimes of administrative prevarication, fraud, embezzlement of public funds and negotiation that is prohibited to officials.
In addition to the former mayor, Mónica Lorente, who has been away from public life for several years, the procedure is being followed against councillors who were on the governing board and businessmen who managed the club at that time.
The current City Council, according to the order, now has a period of ten days to confirm in the procedure that they are the injured party. The Prosecutor’s Office, pending the opening of the oral trial, understands the public aid received by the football club was irregular.
Only last week Orihuela CF ended it’s most successful season for many years, when a 2-1 victory against Silla, in the very final game of the campaign, secured the club’s promotion from Tercera to Segunda B, prompting more than 1,000 supporters to join the team in celebrations through the night, on their midnight return.
