Murcian plot of 'Operation Punic' faces prison sentences of up to four years, as per ruling by the National Court.
In a significant development, several politicians and businessmen have been sentenced for their roles in the Murcia-based 'Operation Púnica.' The operation, which took place in 2014, was aimed at illegally benefiting companies EICO and MADIVA through a simulated tender for an amount of 30,000 euros.
The National Court (AN) considered this a "criminal conspiracy" between public and private subjects, with the intention of committing an "act of corruption." The firms EICO and MADIVA were financed by corrupt businessmen linked to public contract fraud.
Among those sentenced are former Murcia regional councillor Juan Carlos Ruiz and former Cartagena mayor José Antonio Alonso, who received four years in prison each. Ruiz, identified as the political promoter of the Operation Púnica conspiracy, allegedly benefited from the fraudulent operation through personal reputation services offered by EICO/MADIVA.
Jesús Norberto Galindo, former secretary general of the Institute of Tourism, was also sentenced to one year in prison. Galindo, along with Alejandro de Pedro and José Antonio Alonso, were identified as the economic promoter entrepreneurs of Operation Púnica.
In addition, Agustín Alonso, Sara Gargallo, and Francisco Javier Bueno received six months in prison. The magistrates acquitted De Pedro, the Conesa brothers, Sara Gargallo, and Francisco Javier Bueno of the crime of administrative malfeasance.
Former director general of the Institute of Tourism María Dolores Martín and businessman Alejandro de Pedro are also part of the sentenced group. De Pedro, Alonso, and their companies participated "from outside the administration" in the manipulation of contracts with the Industry Council to finance their proposed plan, which was a form of business replication in other places.
Meanwhile, Basque Nationalist Party (BNG) has expressed concern over the "excessive" actions of security forces during the pro-Palestinian protests in La Vuelta, Galicia. BNG defends those who raised their voices against barbarism being arrested after the protests.
In a separate incident, Galician regional president Alberto Núñez Feijóo defended an event in La Vuelta that "belongs to everyone" amid the pro-Palestinian protests. Feijóo's stance comes as a response to the BNG's criticism of the security forces' actions during the protests.
The awarding in October 2014 of the "Digital Communication Plan of the Institute of Tourism of the Region of Murcia" was the result of a "coordinated, premeditated, and shared action" between public officials and private operators, as part of Operation Púnica. The details of this case continue to unfold as investigations progress.
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