The investigation into the illegal sale by Orihuela Council employees of scrap metal, which is being investigated by the Orihuela courts, throws up a scene with grotesque overtones, the sale of five very rare iron and copper sculptures of palm trees by the prestigious architectural company, Muher Art, that were, until last year, located outside the museum house of Orihuela’s favourite son, the poet Miguel Hernández.
They were made on behalf of the former CAM, which donated them in 2008 to the Council on the anniversary of the poet’s death.
Valued at 50,000 euros each, a total of 250,000 euro, on their removal they were place in a council warehouse for safekeeping.
However, on March 17, 2023, around 1:00 p.m., a vehicle owned by the council transported them from the municipal warehouse to an iron and metal recycling company in the Puente Alto industrial estate where they were sold by weight for scrap.
In total, there was almost 4 tons of iron and copper which brought a total of 940.8 euros, in cash, which was never entered into the municipal accounts.
The sale was formalised by city officials who, according to their statements, were doing so following instructions from the person in charge of the warehouse, who the court has summoned to appear in person on 18 December for an alleged crime of embezzlement.
This manager was said to oversee the municipal warehouse within the Infrastructure Department while it was in the hands of Ciudadanos, which has completely disassociated itself from the actions that are alleged to have been carried out.
In his statement, the manager denied that material was being recycled and that he had never given any order in this regard, stating that if this were the case he would have informed the appropriate municipal technician. However, he did acknowledge that three days before the palm trees were taken to the scrap yard, on March 14, Guardia Civil Seprona issued fine for the uncontrolled open-air storage of organic waste, prunings, metals, rubble, rubber floors, wood, computers, in the warehouse.
For this reason, he said, he ordered his staff, according to instructions received from the municipal technician, to clean the area, indicating that an assessment should be made of what was useful and what was not, with the workers making the final decision. At the same time he indicated that he was not at the site when the palm trees were loaded and taken to the scrap metal yard.
The manager did, however, admit that the payment for the sale was made in cash which was handed over to him, with which he paid for air conditioners and televisions to be installed in the buildings of the construction and gardening gangs. The police concluded that it was also used to pay for lunches for employees.
It is said that this illegal practice had been taking place since at least 2019. Other witnesses indicated that every time Christmas approached, they received orders to sell metal. The company in the industrial estate stated that it received material from City Hall officials every six months.
In turn, the PP, which filed the complaint that led to the police investigation, revealed that other items, also from warehouses on the coast. followed a similar route to scrap yards, but to other commercial establishments on the Alicante-Murcia highway, Almoradí and Los Montesinos.
