Isha Sesay
THE Mayor of Vilafranca de Bonany in Mallorca has been fined €3,000 after attending a boozy party during the nationwide lockdown.
Montserrat Rossello was found hiding out in a backroom when the Guardia Civil stormed a property on the outskirts of the village.
Police had been tipped off by several residents in the area who believed that their neighbour was holding a social gathering in their house.
When responding officers entered inside, they found numerous bottles of alcohol as well as three ‘intoxicated’ individuals.
A search of the premises uncovered the Mayor attempting to conceal himself from the officers.
An identity check of the four men verified that only one lived inside the home, meaning the others had brazenly broken the lockdown.
Rossello, alongside his three friends, were sanctioned €3,000 each, serving as a warning that even officials are not above the law.
The disgraced Mayor, who has served the municipality since 2011 and is a member of the Popular Party (PP), has already paid the fine.
This was reduced to €1,500 as was paid within the set deadline.
Rossello is yet to make a public apology for the act and there is no indication that he will resign.
Flouting the confinement carries a penalty between €600 and €30,000, with the police handing out a total of 12,500 fines in the Balearic Islands since the state of alarm decree has been enforced.
