One of the largest corruption trials in recent years has concluded in Spain, centering on municipal officials in Madrid. The National Court has sentenced several former mayors and administrators involved in fraudulent public contracts between 2012 and 2014. The investigation focused on deals with Cofely España, a company specializing in energy efficiency, which secured lucrative contracts through collusion with officials.
Among those convicted were five former mayors from the Partido Popular (PP), one ex-mayor from the PSOE, and another representative of a local political group. The court found them guilty of corruption schemes related to awarding contracts worth millions of euros. Two other former mayors implicated in the case were acquitted.
Key Figures
The harshest sentence went to businessman David Marjaliza, considered the mastermind behind the scheme. He received eight years and two months in prison. His testimony was key to uncovering details of the complex corruption network that spanned several municipalities and implicated high-ranking politicians.
Among those convicted were also top executives from Cofely. Former CEO Didier Roger Maurice was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for involvement in a criminal organization, fraud, bribery, and complicity in abuse of office. The company Cofely as a legal entity was fined €3.6 million for bribery and influence peddling, although the firm was acquitted of money laundering charges.
Sentence details
The former mayor of Parla from the Socialist party, José María Fraile, pleaded guilty and returned the funds he received. The court sentenced him to two years in prison for fraud, abuse of power, and bribery, as well as four months and 15 days for influence peddling. He admitted to receiving €500,000 for organizing a tender in Cofely’s interest.
Antonio Sánchez Fernández, former head of the Serranillos del Valle municipality from the local party UDMA, was sentenced to two years and ten months in prison for similar offenses. Carlos Alberto Estrada, former mayor of Moraleja de Enmedio, and Agustín Juárez López de Coca, former mayor of Villalba—both from the PP—each received four and a half years in prison.
Other participants
Daniel Ortiz, former mayor of Móstoles, the second-largest city in the region, has been sentenced to three years for bribery. The same sentence was handed down to former municipal deputy Alejandro Utrilla, while his brother Mario Utrilla, who was then the mayor of Sevilla La Nueva, was also found guilty. Both denied any involvement, but the court found their guilt proven.
A fifth former mayor from the PP, Gonzalo Cubas, who led Torrejón de Velasco and is related to Marjaliza, pleaded guilty and received a three-year ban on holding public office.
Mitigating circumstances
The court took into account the lengthy investigation, which lasted more than 11 years, and the fact that some defendants admitted their guilt. This led to reduced sentences compared to what prosecutors had sought. Some of those convicted also voluntarily returned illegally obtained funds, which was considered when handing down the verdict.
At the same time, two former mayors from the People’s Party — José García Lobato of Almendralejo and José Carlos Boza Lechuga of Valdemoro — were fully acquitted.
