James Warren
A FORMER Granada mayor has been found guilty of using municipal money to phone premium phone sex lines whilst he was in office.
Juan Jose Luis Rodenas was found guilty for using the publically provided mobile phone to use the erotic services during his time as mayor of Castril between 2008 and 2011.
The former PSOE mayor took to the stand in the Granada Court House, charged with crimes of embezzling of public funds to the tune of 1,580 over the three year period.
The investigation began after invoices were examined after Rodenas left his post in 2011.
Auditors unearthed 10 separate companies dedicated to providing pay-per-minute sexual services via one of two company mobile phones.
The latest court case is the second time Rodenas has stood before the court these charges.
In 2018, the socialist councillor faced the allegations at the Huéscar Investigating Court but the case ended inconclusive, with Rodenas insisting on his innocence.
The defense claims that Rodenas as a victim of a scam and did not contact any of the services he is accused of.
However the prosecution team, led by lawyer Rafael Revelles maintains that the former mayor committed fraud and was fully aware of his actions, shown through his lack of remorse throughout the court procedings.
Rodenas’ case will be reviewed in the coming days but it is expected that he will ordered to stand down from office for 21 months and as well as repaying the money missing, will be requested to pay fines and court fees amounting to 3,240.
Rodenas is also under investigation after current mayor Miguel Perez discovered overly inflated invoices dated back to when he was in office.
Most notably, one invoice from a maintenance company contracted to help the clean up after the 2009 rainstorms totalling 30,856 and accounting for 37-hour working shifts was found despite actual clearing work not being completed.
