Aburto does not remember signing the 600,000 euro grant for work not carried out in Alonsotegi

The mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, stated on Tuesday that he does not remember signing the regional decision by which the Provincial Council of Bizkaia granted a subsidy of 600,000 euros to the Alonsotegi Municipal Council in 2012 for works not carried out .

Aburto has testified as a witness in the trial being held at the Bizkaia Court for alleged corruption in the Alonsotegi Municipal Council, in which the former mayor of Alonsotegi (Bizkaia) of the PNV between 2011 and 2015, José Luis Erezuma, now deceased, accused of corruption. , and also accused two officials of a construction company, an architect and a municipal consultant, who are accused of crimes of deception, embezzlement, falsification of documents and fraud in the collection of government subsidies for works they did not carry out.

The current mayor of Bilbao was, at the time of the assessment of events, in February 2012, deputy to the presidency in the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. The Bilbao councilor has assured that he does not remember “signing that specific grant, because he signed hundreds of regional decisions every week”, although he has acknowledged his signature on the regional decision.

Juan Mari Aburto has stated that he understands that “it was carried out in accordance with the established procedure, since, if the files normally have the signature of the corresponding officials, they have sufficient authorization to sign the regional decisions.”

The mayor also does not remember whether he met Erezuma or the suspect. Moreover, he pointed out that he had not seen the file since it was signed.