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INPRIMATU
They request the resignation of the mayor of Trapagaran for "spending almost 40,000 euros on meals, cigars, gin tonic and sucks"
  • Xabier Cuéllar, mayor of Trapagaran since 2011, has denounced that during the ten years he has ruled he has spent 38,930 euros "on meals, drinks and unjustified displacements", according to EH Bildu.
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Argazkia: Xabier Cuellar / Twitter

On Wednesday EH Bildu de Trapagaran filed a complaint with the City Hall, by spokesman Elena Reyero and councilor Roberto Irure. According to the coalition's estimates, PNV Mayor Xabier Cuéllar has used 38,930 public euros to pay for "their meals, beverages and displacements". The tickets presented by the mayor and the supporting manuscripts, he said, are "full of irregularities."

According to data from EH Bildu, more than 70% of the 38,930 euros have been allocated by the mayor to buy "gin tonic, txupitos, combined and cigars", while the rest have been used to travel in Trapagaran. The two independent ediles have recalled that the regulation approved by the mayor himself establishes that travel expenses within the municipality are not charged as a diet.

The coalition has called for a better analysis of these kinds of actions in the council. For example, meetings with companies or other entities should be held in the City Hall itself, and not in restaurants, the monitoring of the mayor’s diets should be more stringent or official forms should always be used, avoiding all expenses without ticket or invoice.

Given the seriousness of the case, EH Bildu has demanded that the mayor return the money and has asked for his resignation for the time being. They have also stressed that consideration is being given to transferring the case to the Ertzaintza Court of Auditors.