The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Valencia has decided to open an investigation into Juan Manuel Badenas, a councillor for the political party Vox, over alleged crimes of prevarication, embezzlement, and document forgery linked to a sponsorship contract. The case came to light following a complaint by the Socialist municipal group, which raised concerns about the viability of a deal that amounted to fourteen thousand five hundred euros plus VAT with the publisher of OK Diario.

In conjunction with the prosecutor’s order, the Civil Guard’s Central Operational Unit has requested information regarding all contracts signed by Badenas after the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s directive. The sponsorship, allegedly established during a political interview, has also been questioned, especially due to Badenas making potentially politically charged statements against the Spanish government during this time.

José Gosálbez, who has taken over as Vox’s municipal spokesman after Badenas’s suspension from the party in March, emphasised that their party respects judicial processes and the presumption of innocence for all involved. Gosálbez further stated that he believes there to be numerous more serious examples of misconduct compared to the allegations against Badenas.

The Socialist spokesperson in Valencia, Borja Sanjuan, noted that additional action may be taken by their group as new information arises regarding Badenas’s management of the contracts. The investigation into the sponsorship deal, which has been accused of lacking justification and relevance to the city’s interests, carries significant public implications as taxpayers may have financed the initiative without sufficient oversight or purpose. The situation is developing, and the involved parties await the judge’s resolutions.