Joan Ribó, former mayor of Valencia, has come under scrutiny due to an investigation related to the construction of a municipal swimming pool in Alboraia. On Wednesday, he appeared at the Valencia court to testify in a case concerning possible irregularities in the building of the sports facility. Ribó stated that he was unaware of the project details and did not participate in discussions on the matter during his time leading the city.
The core of the investigation is to determine whether there were violations in granting permits for construction and the use of protected land. Although the plot belongs to Alboraia, it is located within Valencia’s territory, which has led to complications. Investigators want to know why the construction began without full coordination between the municipalities and whether all legal procedures were followed.
Background of the dispute
The complaint was filed by the Association for the Defense of the Rule of Law, led by former Catarroja mayor María Ángeles López from the Partido Popular. The statement alleges that construction of the pool began before summer 2023 on contested land where the interests of Valencia and Alboraia overlap. At that time, Valencia was governed by a coalition of Compromís and PSPV-PSOE.
Ribó arrived at court accompanied by his Compromís colleagues, Papi Robles and Sergi Campillo. Before the hearing began, he emphasized that he did not have authority over the issue and does not recall the pool topic ever being raised at city council meetings or other official discussions.
A long history behind the site
According to the former mayor, the transfer of the site was discussed as far back as 1992, when Valencia was led by Rita Barberá. At that time, there was talk of handing over the land to Alboraya, since locals had long supported the move. Ribó believes the idea made sense, as the entire sports complex is located there, but for unclear reasons, no agreement was reached and the site remained under Valencia’s administration.
He added that Alboraya’s city council repeatedly raised the issue, but no final decision was ever made. Ribó himself admitted that he had never visited the site and was not personally familiar with it. Administratively, he described the situation as quite confusing: in Valencia, the land is considered unsuitable for development, while in Alboraya, construction is permitted.
Legal intricacies
The complaint alleges that some officials in the Alboraya municipality may have violated urban planning laws, while former Valencia authorities failed to restore order or impose sanctions. Investigators are still trying to determine why administrative proceedings were not initiated regarding the construction.
As part of the investigation, former Valencia deputy mayor and former head of the urban planning department Sandra Gómez, now serving in the European Parliament, may be summoned for questioning. This could shed light on decision-making processes and why the matter failed to receive proper attention from city officials.
