Benejúzar Town Council is compiling documentation requested by prosecutors as part of an investigation into the municipality’s household waste collection service.
The council received formal notification from the Elche-Orihuela Area Prosecutor’s Office on Friday. Mayor Vicente Cases said the authority would provide all the information requested to clarify any concerns surrounding the service.
Waste collection is considered an essential municipal service and will continue without interruption while the council completes the process of awarding a new contract.
The procedure moved forward on Monday when the council approved the proposed cost structure for the new contract during a plenary meeting.
Waste collection in Benejúzar has been carried out by Residuos Sólidos Álvarez since 2018. The original contract expired in July 2023 and was extended for a further 12 months, until July 2024.
Cases acknowledged that the temporary arrangements had remained in place for longer than the council would have preferred. However, he stressed that the complexity and financial importance of the procurement process had contributed to the delay.
“We began the process of awarding a new contract, but it must be remembered that this is a complex procedure and represents one of the largest contracts handled by any town council,” the mayor said.
“Although the temporary situation has continued for longer than we would have liked, we are not going to stop providing a service such as waste collection. Everyone understands that it is essential to keeping the municipality clean and habitable.”
According to Cases, prosecutors have requested information relating to the contract awarded in 2018, as well as the approval and payment of invoices submitted by the company during 2026.
The request also covers documentation connected to the preparation of the tender specifications for the new waste collection service, together with information about the proposed new contract.
The mayor maintained that the council had followed the appropriate legal and administrative advice throughout the process.
“At all times, we have acted in accordance with the legal reports issued by the council’s secretary-comptroller and with the best interests of Benejúzar and its residents in mind,” Cases said.
The council is now gathering the relevant files and will forward them to the judicial authorities as requested.
