The Madrid Supreme Court (Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid, TSJM) has given final approval to the seven-year disqualification of former Navalcarnero mayor Baltasar Santos and ex-environmental officer Manuel Jordán Rodríguez. Both previously held positions in the city administration as members of the People’s Party and are now barred from holding public office due to administrative violations in contracting procedures.
The panel of judges found no grounds to uphold the appeals filed by the convicted officials. The earlier ruling, which not only bans them from working in government bodies but also requires them to cover court costs, remains unchanged.
According to case materials, in 2014, Manuel Jordán, serving as the environmental officer, commissioned the private company Laca2 Metálicos Hercevi, SL to carry out repairs to fencing used for traditional local festivals. Although the work was completed, the contract was awarded directly, bypassing mandatory procedures and documentation requirements, in violation of municipal regulations.
Baltasar Santos, who was then serving as mayor, signed the necessary orders and authorized the payments despite official warnings from the administration’s financial and legal departments. The amount paid to the company exceeded 105,000 euros. The judges concluded that Santos, having all the necessary information about the violations, did not take any steps to prevent them, even though he was obliged to stop the payments and initiate the proper procedures.
The court rejected the defense’s arguments that the officials’ actions were not deliberate. It was established that both convicted individuals were aware of the illegality of their actions. In particular, Manuel Jordan admitted during the hearings that he acted on his own initiative without technical reports, an approved budget, or a formal contract.
The court ruling emphasizes that this was not a matter of formal mistakes, but a conscious violation of the principles of legality and transparency in municipal operations. The case drew significant attention in the region and became another example of the fight against local corruption.
