The socialists of Santa Margalida have accused the mayor, Joan Monjo (Convergència), of trying to benefit his relatives through the acquisition of municipal land that would bring them profits of around 300,000 euros.
In a statement, the PSIB-PSOE has warned that the municipal council meeting next Friday will vote on the expropriation of about 3,000 square meters of the area known as Carrer Llarg de Son Serra for an approximate amount of 600,000 euros.
This operation, derived from the 1986 subsidiary regulations, would be complemented by the already completed purchase of 3,000 square meters of an adjacent estate.
The two actions, as claimed by the socialists, were linked to a proposal promoted by Monjo himself to acquire between 250,000 and 400,000 square meters of an adjacent pine forest to create green areas in the municipality.
However, they have emphasized that what seemed like a consensus project to recover public spaces has turned into an operation «marked by serious irregularities,» as evidenced by a report signed by several municipal officials and transferred to the information committee last Monday.
This document highlights a series of facts «that cast serious doubts on the legality of the process» and on the mayor’s actions, whom the socialists accuse of benefiting his relatives.
### CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
According to the PSIB, in 2018, a process was initiated to claim the expropriation of Carrer Llarg by one of the owners of the affected estates.
Already in March 2021, the municipal spokespersons’ board showed support for the mayor’s proposal to acquire the Son Serra pine forest, but «without specifying parcels or specific conditions.»
«This agreement was subsequently used to justify an action focused on an estate with family interests of the mayor,» the socialists have argued.
In June 2022, Monjo initiated the process to acquire land for the green area with a series of criteria and technical conditions that, according to the same source, he himself determined.
The report from the municipal officials refers to this issue and indicates suspicions that «only the plot of his relatives meets the requirements individually.»
Between October of that year and July 2024, three tenders were published with the same criteria. Two were left deserted, and a third one, promoted by the mayor’s office, ended on November 21 of that year.
«In none of these tenders, in the simple note of the plot, do the mayor’s relatives appear. Therefore, neither the municipal technicians nor the opposition councilors have evidence that the estate is owned 50 percent by their relatives,» the PSIB has acknowledged.
However, it is known, from the registry notes, that 50 percent belongs to a third person who has never carried out any administrative act in the Santa Margalida City Council.
All this changes when on November 19, a deed of acceptance and inheritance award is submitted, in which two direct relatives of Monjo appear as usufructuary and bare owner, respectively, of 50 percent of the estate.
This documentation also includes the identification documents of the mayor’s relatives as co-owners of the plot and the inheritance award of another deceased relative of the mayor, years ago.
### PARTICIPATION IN THE TENDER
As a result, on the following two days – November 20 and 21, 2024 – municipal services became aware that Monjo’s relatives submitted a bid to the tender and claim that the mayor should have abstained from the beginning.
However, the officials note in their report the «personal and direct participation of the mayor from the beginning of the process» with a provision from June 2022 indicating the award criteria and requirements.
Their active involvement implies «administrative acts tainted with absolute nullity or, at best, annullable,» the municipal workers explain.
The socialists emphasize that the third tender, imposed by Monjo’s proposal, ended on November 21, and it was not until two days before that his relatives submitted the documentation. «A fact that we do not consider casual,» they have underlined.
«By virtue of a public deed dated August 29, 2024, the mayor’s relatives accept as an inheritance, from another relative of the mayor, 50 percent of the estate involved. It should be noted that the death of the previous owner had occurred several years ago,» they have added.
Furthermore, the socialists continued, that estate already belonged to the former owner – also a family member – as it was purchased from the business Jujuy SL. in 2005 when it was owned by Monjo.
This was pending registration in the land registry at the time of the aforementioned deed of acceptance and inheritance award. The report considers it «obvious, therefore, that when the first agreement was adopted, the mayor should have abstained from his involvement.»
The PSIB has also considered it «obvious and evident» that, given that Monjo had been the owner and that the property continued to be of his own family, «he cannot claim ignorance.»
«It is striking, if not that there is no manifest intention, the fact of not registering the property or not registering the inheritance despite 20 years having passed,» they have pointed out.
The valuation of the land, according to the socialists, has been done by externally hired technicians. The municipal officials, in their report, consider it advisable that this economic valuation «be confirmed or ratified» by a public official or by the technical services of the Mallorca Council.
In January of this year, Monjo delegated his powers to councilor Eugenio Garrido – the PSIB finds it noteworthy that he did not delegate it to the first deputy mayor, from the PP – and this April the council meeting was convened to approve the expropriation of the estate, valued at 665,000 euros.
«This is when the opposition councilors became aware of this report, as the third tender for the purchase of the pine forest was not brought to the council meeting, and therefore we could not access the report,» they concluded.
### RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PP
According to the socialists, the fact that the PP «supports» the municipal government of Santa Margalida with its eight councilors would enable them to prevent the approval of «a procedure tainted by conflicts of interest and driven by a more than evident desire of the mayor to direct the process and hide his connection to the estate to be purchased.»
«Their inaction, lack of positioning, and tacit support for the mayor make them accomplices in irregular management that could have legal and financial consequences for the municipality,» they have criticized.
Given this scenario, the PSIB has demanded the immediate suspension of all procedures related to the estate and the tender, as well as a complete review.
Also, an external audit of the economic valuation processes of the plot, the appearance of Monjo and the PP to provide explanations, and a review of the acts adopted with the mayor’s participation in situations where there may have been a conflict of interest.
FUENTE