€8,000 spent on tapas and beer

Jose Benlloch, the mayor of Vila-Real, in Castellon, stands accused of spending €8,000 of public money on tapas, beers and food.

Opposition leader in the town, Hector Folgado, already accused him of spending public money on cosmetic treatments bought in Madrid; Folgado stated that the mayor’s expenses on cosmetics had already been paid for, in December 2011, from the public coffers and that it was “outrageous” that he would continue to spend in this manner.

Folgado underscored the fact that the cosmetic expenses came up in March 2011, when Benlloch was in the opposition, but were not put through until December of the same year when he became mayor - he qualified this as “shameful”.

He went on to explain that everyone in the council was equally to blame as this was public information and he was the only one to speak up about it as he felt the public should know what their money was being spent on.

The opposition is asking Benlloch to give back the money and resign from his post.