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The former mayor of Getaria is sentenced to four years in prison for the Balenciaga case
  • The former mayor of Getaria, Mariano Camio (PNV), has been sentenced to four years in prison for the Balenciaga case in the Guipuzkoan village. The defendant has been convicted of offences of unfair administration and counterfeiting of commercial documents.
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Mariano Camio Getariako EAJko alkate ohia (argazkia: EITB).

In addition, Camio has been tried for two other offences of misappropriation of public funds and deprivation of the right to information to a member of a society. In both cases, however, the defendant has been acquitted. The sentence has therefore halved the request for eight years ' imprisonment that had been opposed to him. According to Efe, Camio will also have to pay two fines: Fundación Cristóbal Balenciaga for EUR 43,687 and Berroeta Aldamar for EUR 426,093.

In statements to Euskadi Irratia, Camio said that he respects the sentence, but that it seems to him that it is an abuse and that he is going to resort to the sentence.

Waste of public money

The Balenciaga Museum of Getaria, which was supposed to cost EUR 4.8 million, was finally spent EUR 30 million due to the mismanagement of Camio and other people involved in the project. Among the irregularities, the hiring of a person who did not have the title of approved architect, who diverted public money to his family or who Camio arranged his private car with funds for the pinacoteca on more than one occasion.

During the investigation phase of this trial, other erroneous practices were also launched, such as silk scarves from the collection of the Getaria disto, which should be pieces of the museum, which ended up in the hands of the wives of leaders of the PNV of Gipuzkoa. As these events occur between 1988 and 1990, the Public Prosecutor's Office declared the crimes prescribed.