Four PP mayors and aides take the stand

PALMA
THE macro-trial of 14 former and current members of the conservative Partido Popular party opened in Palma yesterday, where all suspects stand accused of aiding and abetting former Mayor of Ses Salines, Sebastia Vidal in allegedly opening a “social club” in a property illegally built on rural land.

First to declare in front of the judge yesterday was Catalina Soler, ex Mayor of Felanitx and recently resigned Partido Popular spokesperson. She claimed that Vidal had asked her to fax a statement to his office, confirming that a “Traditional horse riding group” to which he belonged had performed in her municipality. Soler said that Vidal had sent her a “format” of how he wanted the declaration returned, an assistant had typed it up for her and she had signed it. “He indicated he wanted the paper to assist in registering his land as an area of special cultural interest and I feel deceived because of that,” said Soler. She acknowledged that she knew he had once been a postman in the district of Felanitx and was a member of the traditional horsemen's group but that were the same incident to happen again, she would specify more carefully before signing the certificate that the group had been formed in 2001. Ex Mayor of Lloret, Joan Jaume, also testified that he had received and signed a similar format for Vidal. The case continues.