Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office Appeals Ruling in Gürtel Case Involving Former Valencian President Francisco Camps
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office has filed an appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the acquittal of former President of the Valencian Generalitat, Francisco Camps, in the Gürtel case. This decision follows a previous ruling by the National Court, which had exonerated Camps, citing insufficient evidence that he orchestrated hiring related to the corruption scheme.
Prosecutorial sources informed EFE that this appeal, dubbed a cassation appeal, aims to reverse the acquittal, underlined by a requested sentence that included one year in prison and a six-year disqualification for influence peddling alongside misconduct.
The timeline for the case has experienced slight delays following a new order from the same court that previously dealt with Camps. This recent ruling adjusted the sentence of Cándido Herrero, a manager implicated in the scheme, reflecting a shift from three years to a mere three months for one of the crimes.
In addition to Camps, several other prominent figures from the Valencian PP were acquitted, along with various high-ranking officials and civil servants linked to awards made to the company Orange Market during the period of 2004 to 2009. Among the notable contracts were the Tennis Open and the Grand Events at the tourism fair, Fitur.
While Camps and his councilors escaped criminal responsibility, the leaders of the corrupt scheme, including Francisco Correa, Pablo Crespo, and Álvaro Pérez (known as 'Bigotes'), received sentences ranging from two years to over three years in prison, having remained incarcerated for some time. Additional accused individuals who acknowledged their complicity accepted various penalties in alignment with the Prosecutors Office.
The 232-page ruling from the National Court stated that there was no concrete evidence to prove Camps's involvement in the awarding of contracts for the Fitur 2009 fair, particularly disassociating him from any claims of collusion with then General Director of Institutional Promotion, Dora Ibars. The court's judgment noted a lack of documented communications or witness testimonies connecting Camps to any form of pressure or insinuation regarding these contracts, ultimately negating any notion of his criminal involvement in the case.
In light of this appeal, alongside a similar motion filed by two former socialist regional deputies, it remains to be seen how the Supreme Court will respond to the complexities surrounding one of Spain's most significant corruption cases.
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