The prosecutor asks for six more months to investigate a complaint against Vélez

Prosecutor Antonio J. Vivo Pina has requested a six-month extension to continue with the investigation of a complaint directed against the Government delegate in the Region and general secretary of the PSRM, José Vélez, for alleged prevarication and embezzlement of public funds in the award of the operation of the Calasparra bullring, a municipality in which Vélez was mayor between 2014 and 2020.

The case is instructed in the courts of Caravaca de la Cruz after a complaint by two mayors of the opposition in Calasparra, also directed against the councilors of the PSOE Jordi Arce – current manager of the PSRM – and Antonio Merino, as well as a bullfighting businessman. For now, the prosecutor considers that it is not appropriate to call the defendants to testify as investigated, “without prejudice to what is appropriate at a later procedural moment in view of the proceedings that are carried out,” according to a letter dated of March 19. In this writing, the Public Ministry requests a series of documentation from the Calasparra City Council and various companies.

On the other hand, Vélez has already been informed of the complaint by official means. In May 2021, the Caravaca de la Cruz court issued a warrant to the senior court of Murcia requesting that the Government delegate be officially informed of the filing and admission of the complaint against him. Only a week ago such an order was considered fulfilled.