Provincial Court Alicante, five defendants who were accused of committing fraud in the distribution of free food to disadvantaged people at the NGO called Plaes Asistencial, where they worked, were acquitted due to the fact that the facts subject to the accusation could not be proven by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. . The verdict states that the three defendants demanded that some beneficiaries pay five euros for the delivery of food batches, but does not appreciate the crime Although classified as “irregularity”.
Carlos Parrales, the founder and current director of Plaes Asistencial, one of the acquitted defendants, claimed at the trial that the people who made the payments did so. membership fee, because they carried out other activities in the organization. The five defendants denied at trial that they sold large quantities of food.
The NGO, which learned of the acquittal, confirmed in a statement that it had been dedicated to “helping and integrating lives in Alicante” for over a decade and that “he finally received the justice he deserved after a long time.” false accusation».
According to the decision made public by the Third Circuit, an appeal can be made to the court. Supreme Court of Justice5 defendants were defended by 4 prosecutors. lawyer José Esteve VillaescusaThey faced a prison sentence of between 27 months and four years for the alleged fraud reported by the Government Sub-Delegation, but the court cleared them all of lying, fraud and fraud on the grounds that it had not been proven that beneficiary lists had been falsified to obtain more information. food Red Cross And food bank nor the signatures of the drawees.
I distribute aid
Authorized by Plaes Asistencial. Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEGA) Participating in the distribution of free food aid to the most disadvantaged people in the province. Then go, It has offices in Alicante, Elche, Mutxamel and TorreviejaBetween 2017 and 2018, he received food worth 200,000 TL from the Red Cross and Food Bank. 326.129 euros According to the decision, it was not possible to determine “exactly how much food Plaes delivered to the beneficiaries.”
According to the facts proven in the sentence, three of the defendants sometimes demanded from some beneficiaries “payment of five euros for the delivery of food batches or lower amounts for the delivery of some foods”, although there is no evidence to this effect. The former head of the NGO, who participated in the food distribution as a volunteer and social worker, demanded that any amount be paid to the food beneficiaries.
The decision also states the following: Inclusion of duplicate beneficiaries not proven In the lists sent to the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEGA) to obtain greater quantities of food.
In this sense, the court warns in its decision that the allegedly fake lists presented by Plaes are not included in the incident, but are a list prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture. Government Sub-Authority. According to the decision, this prevented the court and the parties from examining the documents on which the accusation was based and exposing them to contradictions. Chapter Three understands that “this is not proven cheat On compliance with the conditions for granting the subsidy.
On the other hand, the decision shows this: help or subsidy received in Plaes «not used for any other purpose Despite the fact that food distribution was carried out in violation of the basic requirements stipulated in administrative regulations, the place should be allocated.
Likewise, the court does not believe that it has been proven that the signatures on the food receipt records were not “handwritten” on behalf of the beneficiaries themselves or by one of their relatives. Happiness blameindicates failure, lacking in rigorSince there was not even an expert test for the authorship of the signatures.
According to the Provincial Court, the proven facts do not constitute the crimes committed by the defendants. Prosecutor’s Office and the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal complaint against the defendants and accepted their acquittal.
“Unfounded” accusation
NGO Plaes Asistencial states that it is “experiencing a problem” Huge material and moral damageHe appreciates the unconditional support of his partners, volunteers and collaborators who “trusted his integrity and professionalism throughout the judicial process” due to the “baseless accusation”. In his statement, Plaes reiterates his commitment to the people most in need and confirms that he has all the necessary facilities. Support from the Provincial Council, Elche City Council, University of Alicante and various companies and foundations.
In addition to distributing food and clothing, Plaes shelter office for people in social emergency It also calls on sponsor companies to cooperate in this project. Plaes Asistencial states that this is “an example of solidarity, commitment and hope for the Alicante society” and highlights the work of Carlos Parrales, founder and director of the Alicante Business Platform, who collaborates with the NGO on corporate social responsibility projects. entrepreneurship.