The Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia has concluded that the mayor of Palafrugell, Laura Millán incurred in two irregularities related to the declaration of interests and incompatibilities, and also notes a possible conflict of interest due to events that occurred when she was a councilor in the opposition. The City Council must review two contracts signed with the company of which Millán was administrator.
The case dates back to 2022. Then, Millán was part of the municipal opposition and assumed the position of administrator of a company that maintained contracts with the Palafrugell City Council. The obligation of elected officials, as stated in the municipal plenary session, is to present the declaration of interests and incompatibilities at the beginning of the term and to communicate any subsequent modification.
In this case, the mayor should have informed of that appointment when she accepted the position of administrator, but she did not do so until the end of the term. That omission is one of the elements included in the resolution issued by Anti-Fraud.
Review of two municipal contracts
The council must open an ex officio review file on two contracts signed during the period when Millán was a councilwoman in the opposition. During the plenary debate, it was specified that these contracts are not automatically considered null and void.
The final decision on its validity must go through the Legal Advisory Commission of the Generalitat, which will be responsible for determining whether or not to declare its nullity. Meanwhile, the local government has brought to the plenary an agreement to apply the measures dictated by the City Council's anti-fraud commission.
The government reduces the scope of the facts
During the presentation in the plenary session, councilwoman Judit Zaragoza defended that these were "irregularities" and not "illegalities".
"They are irregularities and not illegalities" - Judit Zaragoza, councilwoman
The municipal executive maintains that there was no effective conflict of interest because Millán was in the opposition and did not have the capacity to influence government decisions or a contracting board. He also described the irregularities as minor, without seriousness, and framed them as an attempt at political wear and tear against the mayor.
The agreement promoted by the municipal government seeks to strengthen and adapt the internal integrity system in accordance with the municipal action plan, in addition to promoting awareness, information, and training measures aimed at elected officials.
ERC asks for transparency and political responsibilities
ERC has demanded that both the resolution of the Anti-Fraud Office and the report of the ethics specialist be made public, with the preservation of personal data. The republicans also demand that political responsibilities be cleared for the complaint, the investigation, and the resolution issued by Anti-Fraud.
For ERC, the irregularities are linked to possible non-compliance in matters of transparency, incompatibilities, and contracting. The group maintains that these facts affect the prestige and credibility of the City Council and rejects that they can be minimized. It also reproaches the local government that, until now, it has not assumed responsibilities nor has it reacted with sufficient forcefulness in the face of a resolution that now obliges the council to review its actions and the scope of those two contracts.