The Mayor of Alhaurín el Grande, Juan Martín Serón, has today temporarily handed over his duties to first deputy Mayor Antonia Ledesma as he begins a one year suspension from public office following his conviction for bribery.
Serón will remain Mayor wth Antonia Ledesma as ‘acting Mayor’ during the period of the suspension. In the meantime, neither Serón nor the Councillor for Urban Planning, Gregorio Guerra, who was also convicted of bribery, will be replaced and the ruling PP government will function with 11 instead of 13 Councillors, still an absolute majority.
At the current time, the convicted Mayor fully intends to resume his duties after serving his suspension. His conviction was recently upheld by the Supreme Court.
Serón did not call an extraordinary plenary session but rather issued a decree delegating his responsibilities during his absence, much the same way as would occur if someone was off sick or on holiday.
The legal department apparently studied a number of possibilities before deciding that the decree was the formula required to comply with the Supreme Court ruling and allow him to return to office should he so desire after the suspension is served.