Valencia Judge Orders Barberá’s Family and Top Officials to Stand Trial in ‘Caso Azud’

A judge in Valencia has ordered 38 people—including members of the late mayor Rita Barberá’s family and her closest associates—to stand trial in the long-running ‘caso Azud’ corruption investigation. Barberá’s relatives and former deputy mayor Alfonso Grau are among those facing charges over alleged kickbacks and illegal dealings linked to city contracts and urban development projects.

The case, which has been under investigation for years, focuses on a network accused of arranging commissions paid by business figures such as Jaime Febrer. Prosecutors say these payments were exchanged for favorable treatment in municipal contracts and urban planning, not only in Valencia but also in other towns across the Comunidad Valenciana. According to elDiario.es, the judge moved the case to the pre-trial phase on August 3, 2026, with parties notified on September 3, 2026.

Others ordered to stand trial include José María Corbí, Barberá’s brother-in-law, and three of her daughters. The list of defendants also features former high-ranking city officials from the Partido Popular, such as Alfonso Grau and Jorge Bellver, as well as Rafael Rubio, who served as the Socialist spokesperson in the Valencia city council and later as a government subdelegate. The accused group includes ex-mayors, lawyers, civil servants, and several businesspeople, according to the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Comunidad Valenciana. The defendants also include well-known entrepreneurs and former top managers, such as Carlos Turró (Cleop), Federico Ferrando (Gesfesa/Edifesa), and Vicente Prieto (Secopsa), showing the wide reach of the alleged corruption network.

The charges relate to the final years of Barberá’s long tenure as mayor (1991–2015), a period now under close examination for suspected systemic corruption. The judge’s decision to open an abbreviated procedure (procedimiento abreviado) means the evidence is considered strong enough to proceed to trial, potentially exposing how Valencia’s political and business circles operated. As reported by elDiario.es, this step confirms that investigators have gathered enough evidence to move the case forward.

This development follows a pattern seen in other major Spanish corruption cases, where the independence of the judiciary has come under scrutiny. In a related case, reported earlier, Spanish judges have sometimes taken extra steps to protect sensitive investigations from political interference, highlighting the challenges of pursuing cases involving powerful local interests.

The ‘caso Azud’ involves both the families and close associates who shaped Valencia’s urban development for decades. The presence of figures from both the Partido Popular and the Socialist Party among the accused suggests that the alleged wrongdoing crossed party lines and points to a broader culture of complicity. As the case heads to trial, Valencia faces a public reckoning with its recent history, and the outcome will test the ability of Spain’s justice system to address entrenched local power. The indictment, which includes both political dynasties and business leaders, suggests that the longstanding tolerance for municipal corruption in Valencia may be coming to an end.