Alicante Court Delays Trial of Former Orihuela Mayor Until October 2028
The Alicante Provincial Court has postponed the trial of former Orihuela mayor Emilio Bascuñana, accused of being paid for work he never performed, until October 2028. The alleged events date back to the early 2000s. The oral hearing had been scheduled for spring next year, but the court cited “priority” cases as the reason for delaying it more than two years.
Bascuñana, a member of the People’s Party (PP), is not the only former mayor in Orihuela whose legal proceedings have faced lengthy delays. Current mayor José Vegara, also from the PP, recently saw his trial postponed. Vegara faces seven years in prison for two tax offenses and one count of forgery, stemming from events two decades ago. Bascuñana has experienced similar delays.
The former mayor was due to stand trial on charges of embezzlement and abuse of power. The anti-corruption prosecutor is seeking a three-year prison sentence and a six-year ban from holding public office. Additionally, Bascuñana faces a five-and-a-half-year prohibition from holding any public office or employment related to providing medical services in agencies under the Generalitat (Catalonia’s regional government), where he currently works as a primary care physician.
Allegations Involving the Generalitat
The Public Prosecutor accuses Bascuñana of embezzlement and prevarication, acting as both instigator and accomplice. He allegedly received payments from the Ministry of Health for over four years without performing any documented work. The anti-corruption office claims that between November 2007 and December 2011, Bascuñana misappropriated €141,031 in public funds for a job that investigators could not verify. He retired from politics after a no-confidence vote removed him from the mayoral office in April 2022.
Delays and Controversy
The trial had been scheduled to begin on March 4, 2026, with a verdict expected on May 6, 2026. However, the XI section of the Provincial Court in Elche has postponed it until October 2028. By then, over two decades will have passed since the alleged offenses, making the disqualification penalties sought against him largely symbolic if he is convicted.
Provincial anti-corruption prosecutor Pablo Romero appealed the postponement, calling it “disproportionate” given the significance of the case and the time already elapsed since charges were filed. The court, presided over by Judge Gracia Serrano and drafted by Judge Cristina Eugenia Betrián, rejected the appeal, citing a lack of available dates before October 2028 and the non-priority status of the case. The decision is not subject to appeal.
Other Pending Cases in Orihuela
Bascuñana is not alone in facing delayed legal proceedings. Former PP mayors José Manuel Medina and Mónica Lorente are also awaiting court decisions regarding alleged misconduct while in office. Medina faces one trial, while Lorente faces two.
The Alicante Court in Elche is also handling the first corruption trial in the so-called Brugal case, concerning contracts for garbage collection and street cleaning in Orihuela in the early 2000s. Initially acquitted, 34 defendants—including Medina and Lorente—are now awaiting a new ruling after the Supreme Court overturned the previous verdict.
Additionally, former mayor Lorente awaits the Supreme Court’s decision in a case involving alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for the Vega Baja mega-landfill. The Provincial Court had dismissed the case, exonerating 13 defendants, including former PP politician José Joaquín Ripoll and businessmen Ángel Fenoll and Enrique Ortiz. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor has appealed.
