Former Orihuela Costa Councilor Martina Scheurer, (2011-2015), appeared in court on Thursday alongside the manager of the company Chiringuitos del Sol, Thomas Herteux, facing charges of administrative prevarication, fraud, and the disclosure of privileged information.
The hearing was originally set to take place in February but it was postponed due to the illness of her co-defendants solicitor.
Scheurer stands trial alongside Thomas Herteux, businessman and manager of Chirunguitos del Sol, in a case related to the 2014 awarding of beach bar contracts in Orihuela Costa.
The prosecution argues that Scheurer crafted a customized contract for the company to renew its concession, despite the company owing €944,000 to the Orihuela City Council.
This debt should have disqualified the company from participating in the bidding process, as participants were required to declare no outstanding debts with the administration.
Furthermore, the company won the bid by fulfilling an additional requirement introduced by Scheurer, which was to provide a quality certificate, a standard that very few companies held at the time, but Chiringuitos del Sol had obtained some months prior.
The prosecution is seeking a prison sentence of one year and nine months for each charge, and a ten-year public office ban for Scheurer. Thomas Herteux faces similar charges with a slightly different sentencing proposal. Although Orihuela City Council is not directly involved in the case, Pedro Mancebo, Scheurer’s predecessor, is represented in the trial.
During the trial, Scheurer acknowledged her lack of experience with administrative procedures but claimed that municipal technicians assured her that there was no issue with the company’s debt.
She stated that she, or possibly the mayor, had asked the company to pay the debt, but the company’s lawyer claimed they were not the correct person to address the issue. Scheurer also denied taking sole responsibility for including the quality certificate clause, attributing the decision to a joint effort with the mayor and other members of the governing team.
The prosecution suggested that there ‘may’ have been a meeting between Scheurer and the company manager, where the idea of a quality certificate was discussed, which later appeared in the contract. Scheurer denied such a meeting, stating that she had only met the manager once during a presentation and another time at a tourism event.
Regarding the changes to the contract, Scheurer explained that it was necessary to update the terms to ensure the quality of the beach services, which had earned numerous international distinctions, including Blue Flags and Q of Tourism Quality awards. She also stated that she and her colleagues were not satisfied with the contract prepared by the previous administration.
The trial continues, with further sessions scheduled for April, including testimony from municipal staff and other failed bidders who were involved in the contract.
Several key figures, including former mayor Monserrate Guillén Sáez, current Socialist councillor Carolina Gracia (who was Finance, Youth, and Festivities councillor at the time), and general secretary Virgilio Estremera, are also expected to testify as witnesses during the trial.
