The Popular Party (PP) municipal group in Rojales Town Hall has expressed deep concern following an ordinary plenary session on Monday, 1st June, where the ruling PSOE government team rejected a motion to compile a comprehensive report on the municipal functions and procedures managed by the former mayor of Ciudad Quesada.
The individual in question, Martin Smith, was recently arrested by the Guardia Civil for allegedly defrauding an 86-year-old man of 86,000 euro after building a relationship of trust with him.
The debate ended in a contradiction. While the plenary session unanimously agreed that the motion was urgent enough to be openly debated, the PSOE team ultimately used its votes to block the final approval of the text. The Popular Party lamented the decision, stating it prevented the City Council from executing an act of transparency. The PP intended for the initiative to gather all available municipal information to assist authorities if needed, and to help restore public trust and peace of mind for the residents of the housing development, which is one of the largest in the province.
Popular Party councillor Alberto Ros defended the motion with what the PP described as a serious and documented intervention, challenging the official narrative presented by the government team. Ros presented chronological data that allegedly contradicts the claims regarding the investigated individual’s dismissal from municipal activities.
According to Ros, the former local mayor maintained an active presence and a prominent role in official neighbourhood events and meetings within the urbanisation long after his theoretical dismissal, even spending time in municipal offices until shortly before his arrest. The PP stated that by voting against the report, the PSOE missed a golden opportunity to demonstrate its integrity and defend the honour of the institution above party politics.
The mayor of the municipality, Antonio Pérez, held a press conference alongside councillors from his government team two days after it was revealed that the man arrested for defrauding an elderly British man of 86,000 euro was Matthew Joseph Smith. Smith stood at number 11 on the socialist lists during the 2023 municipal elections and was subsequently appointed by Pérez as his personal representative in the Ciudad Quesada urbanisation. He left the position four months later, in January 2024. The events being investigated by the Guardia Civil took place between 2019 and 2022.
Pérez insisted that after receiving indications of a possible complaint regarding the man’s private life, he was asked to resign from the position, which he did. The mayor noted that after stepping down, the individual sporadically worked as a translator in homeowners’ association meetings in Ciudad Quesada alongside the municipal translator, with the last instance occurring in 2025 before his arrest in March.
However, Pérez made it clear that the individual has never managed economic resources, public contracts, or administrative responsibilities for the City Council. He also criticised the Popular Party for its insinuations regarding the town hall’s knowledge of the alleged criminal activity, accusing the opposition of spreading rumours and fake news to gain a political advantage.
