Alex Trelinski
A 52-year-old Santa Pola council official has been charged with 19 crimes of bribery committed over the last decade.
The woman took bungs from two businessmen to approve the hiring of their companies for events.
The owners of the Cox and Molina de Segura firms also face corruption charges.
The official has also been charged with forgery and theft after stealing €40,000 of council money destined for local associations and charities.
The Guardia Civil arrested her in December and they were aware that was also being investigated by a Murcia court for fraud.
She had been on ‘medical leave’ for a few months before being formally suspended from council duties.
Santa Pola council launched an internal probe into their employee, who’s been with them for over 20 years, following two complaints that grant money for local associations was not being distributed.
The Guardia Civil were brought in and discovered she faked signatures of association beneficiaries and forged documents to keep the cash for herself.
The investigation also uncovered a relationship she had with two companies that bid for contracts involved with local events.
The woman gave strong recommendations for the firms to be awarded tenders in return for bungs ranging between €500 and €2,000, depending on the size of the contract.
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