The former Valencian councilor of the PP Serafín Castellano admitted this Tuesday before the court of the National Court that he had accepted gifts from the corrupt network of the “cartel of fire” while he was part of the regional executive chaired by Francisco Camps. Castellano accepts the account of the events of the anti-corruption prosecutor and assumes prison sentences that do not exceed two years in prison for each crime, thus avoiding imprisonment.
The former PP politician “expressed his willingness to acknowledge conclusively and unequivocally” the facts, according to the anti-corruption prosecutor. Thus, Castellano faces sentences of one year and nine months in prison for each of the crimes of falsification of a public document, corruption, prevarication and embezzlement and 10 months in prison for the crime of illicit association, in addition to disqualification and payment of civil liability.
Businessman Vicente Huerta and former councilor Serafín Castellano also assume joint compensation of 900,000 euros, already filed in court. The lawyer defending the former politician confirmed the “total and absolute compliance” with the terms of the agreement.
The prosecutor would not oppose, subject to the recognition of the facts, the suspension of the prison sentence. The representative of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which had initially requested 21 years in prison for Castellano, clarified that it was the defense that had contacted the Public Ministry to negotiate a compliance agreement. Thus, the accused “recognize and assume the facts” mentioned in the public indictment document.
The fight against corruption recognizes the defendants’ mitigating circumstances of excessive delays and confessions, “in some cases very late”, in reference to the former popular councilor. Specifically, Serafín Castellano’s defense contacted the public prosecutor’s office to negotiate an agreement with “the above trial”, in reference to the first session scheduled for this Monday, suspended precisely to finalize the details of the agreement.
