The auditor of the Arrecife City Council, Francisco Javier Escalona, returned to his job this Wednesday after being on leave for a week, after reporting an alleged assault by a worker in his office at the City Council.
"We were surprised because he first said that he was going to revoke the service commission," said the mayor, Ástrid Pérez, explaining that after that episode the auditor not only submitted a leave, but also announced his intention not to return to the City Council.
"I've been looking for an auditor like crazy for a week. I've called Madrid, the Ministry...?", added the mayor, recalling the problem that the City Council has in not having this position covered. In fact, the problems in replacing the previous auditor, Carlos Sáenz, who is currently in prison for crimes of embezzlement of public funds, already generated serious difficulties for the previous government group.
"The versions are very different"
Finally, after several changes, the position was filled last April with Francisco Javier Escalona, who occupied the position on a service commission, but who in recent days seemed to be leaving the City Council after what happened last Tuesday in his office, when he had a strong discussion with a Housing technician, who claims that he assaulted him.
"I don't know what happened because the versions are very different," Ástrid Pérez declared in this regard. And it is that although the auditor filed a complaint for assault, some sources indicate that "he only raised his hand" and others that "he gave him a push".
Regarding the reason that started the discussion, the mayor states that she was in the "legal debate" that exists in the City Council regarding the payment of aid to the residents who were evicted from their homes in Valterra and Titerroy, who today are still waiting for the works to recover their homes.
"They are owed two or three years due to a technical controversy that is easy"
Since the past term, the Intervention has blocked the payments of the rents of these people, alleging that they should be processed as subsidies. "They are owed two or three years due to a technical controversy that is easy. In the rest of the city councils, island councils and provincial councils they are very clear about what is aid and what is a subsidy," defends Ástrid Pérez, who, against the auditor's criteria, considers that they can be paid as aid.
In the midst of that controversy, the mayor states that last week she sent the Housing technician to speak with the auditor to try to unblock the issue. "And it seems that it was as a result of that consultation," she pointed out to explain how that discussion could have started.
In any case, Ástrid Pérez states that she is "delighted" that the auditor has returned to the City Council after being on leave for a week. "Very delighted," she added. However, when asked about the possibility that his reincorporation after the leave does not mean that he has ruled out resigning from the service commission and leaving the City Council, Pérez replied that she does not know. "It could be," she replied.
Regarding how she will now address the issue of paying the rents to the residents evicted from Valterra and Titerroy, she has announced that she will request "technical assistance", requesting a report from another administration, since she insists that other institutions grant aid and subsidies through different procedures.
"If there is any objection, with those reports I will act accordingly. I am not in favor of lifting objections, but this is an emergency issue. And proving that in other city councils it is done this way, I don't think we will have any problem," she concluded.
