The Socialists backed the urgency of a PP motion to debate the matter in plenary, but then voted against the initiative itself.
The Popular Party municipal group in Rojales Town Hall has criticised the PSOE-led local government after it rejected a proposal to produce a comprehensive report on the duties and activities of the former Ciudad Quesada representative, Matt Smith, recently arrested by the Guardia Civil on suspicion of defrauding an elderly man of €86,000.
The motion was presented during Monday’s ordinary plenary session. In a move the PP described as contradictory, the council unanimously approved the urgency of the motion, allowing it to be debated, but the PSOE later voted against the proposal itself, blocking its approval.
According to the PP, the aim of the report was to compile all available municipal information on the functions, procedures and activities carried out by the former representative, so that it could be made available to the authorities if useful to the investigation.
The party said the initiative was also intended to restore public confidence and provide reassurance to residents of Ciudad Quesada, one of the largest urbanisations in the province, where doubts remain over the arrested man’s role and links with the municipality.
PP councillor Alberto Ros defended the motion during the session, delivering what his party described as a “serious and documented” intervention. The PP said Ros challenged the official version presented by the local government and highlighted a series of unanswered questions surrounding the case.
As an example, Ros pointed to what he described as chronological evidence contradicting the claim that Smith had been removed from the municipal sphere. He said the former representative continued to appear at official neighbourhood events and meetings in the urbanisation after his alleged dismissal, and was still interacting in municipal areas until shortly before his arrest.
For the PP, the PSOE’s vote against the report represented “a missed opportunity to demonstrate integrity and defend the honour of the institution above party interests.”
Days before the plenary, the PP had publicly asked whether the PSOE considered cooperation with the investigation to be urgent. Following the vote, the party said “residents of Rojales and Ciudad Quesada now have their answer.”
The controversy follows the arrest of Matthew Joseph Smith, who was listed as number 11 on the PSOE electoral list for Rojales in the 2023 municipal elections. That same year, Mayor Antonio Pérez appointed him as his personal representative in the Ciudad Quesada urbanisation. According to the mayor, Smith left the position four months later, in January 2024.
The Guardia Civil investigation concerns alleged events dating from 2019 to 2022, involving the suspected defrauding of an elderly British man after a relationship of trust had allegedly been established over several years.
Speaking at a press conference two days after the case was revealed, Mayor Pérez appeared alongside members of his government team and insisted that Smith had stepped down after the council became aware of indications of a possible complaint relating to his private life.
“After receiving indications of a possible complaint in his private life, he was asked to resign from this position, which he did,” Pérez said.
The mayor also stated that, after leaving the role, Smith had only participated sporadically as a translator at meetings of homeowners’ associations in Ciudad Quesada, alongside the municipal translator. His last such appearance, according to Pérez, took place in 2025, before his arrest in March.
Pérez stressed that Smith “never managed financial resources, public contracts or administrative responsibilities for this Town Hall.”
He also strongly criticised the PP, accusing the party of spreading rumours and “fake news” by implying that the mayor or his government team may have known about the alleged criminal activity. Pérez said the opposition was attempting to gain political advantage through disinformation because it could not do so through “management skills or commitment to public service.”
Shortly after his arrest for the alleged fraud, Smith contacted The Leader to deny all of the accusations, stating that he was confident that he would be able to clear his name.
See also:
Arrest of British former PSOE candidate, Matt Smith, causes council chaos in Rojales
British fraud suspect was number 11 on Rojales PSOE list for Municipal Elections
Rojales Couple Accused of Draining €86,000 from Elderly Briton’s Bank Accounts
