A candidate who finished second in a competitive selection process at Torrevieja Town Council has filed a complaint requesting an investigation into potential irregularities during the recruitment drive. The issues raised include the scoring of the examination phase, the terms under which documentation was made available, and personal links between the successful candidate and several senior municipal officials on the selection panel.
The court filing stresses that while friendly greetings or sharing a holiday to Egypt four days before the tests do not in themselves constitute an illegal act, an investigation must establish whether these factors influenced the process or created grounds for abstention. The individual hired for the position is the partner of an advisor to Mayor Eduardo Dolón and the niece of a department general director, one of the top municipal officials. The governing team is aware of the complaint but has declined to make any statement at present.
The complaint, registered on 19 October at Investigating Court Number 4 in Torrevieja, requests an inquiry into how the selection process was managed, evaluated, and resolved to determine if any conduct carries criminal liability. The document clarifies that it does not assert a crime was committed nor attribute criminal responsibility, but requests an investigation to verify the facts.
Examination scoring and access to files
Scoring during the examination phase forms a core element of the complaint. The complainant scored 5.50 points compared to 8.50 points for the winning candidate. On March 9, the person who complained asked for a review to find out how the scores were given, how the marks were broken down, and if there were any mistakes in using the rubric.
The selection panel reviewed the grade and unanimously ratified the 5.50 score on 12th March. That same day, the complainant submitted detailed objections regarding various sections of the assessment and requested access to the case file and evaluation records. Officials subsequently agreed to provide the minutes containing all candidate rubrics and allowed a 90-minute inspection of anonymised projects on 24th March. The complainant acknowledges not attending this viewing, choosing instead to file the legal complaint. The challenge focuses on the restrictive conditions and scope of access offered rather than a total physical denial of documentation.
The call for applications was published in January 2026 for a four-year interim Senior Technician role within the municipal Heritage department. The post is attached to a temporary programme for heritage management, urban regeneration, and promotion, and is commonly referred to as the manager of the new housing office. The successful candidate has been working in the position for several months, and the PP governing team officially presented the new office facilities last week.
The examination phase required candidates to present and defend a proposal for creating a public housing office in Torrevieja. The test was worth up to ten points, with a minimum score of five required to pass to the merit assessment stage.
Social contacts and Egypt trip
Beyond scoring disputes, the complaint details personal links between the selected candidate and several individuals connected to the council. Annexes to the filing include images showing a group at various tourist sites in Egypt.
According to the complainant, on the day of the exams, the winning candidate greeted one of the panel members—the municipal comptroller—with a warm double kiss. The filing acknowledges that a greeting is not an infraction, but notes it raised questions about pre-existing relationships.
The complainant later obtained five Facebook images showing a trip to Egypt around a week before the 27th February exams. The photos show the winning candidate alongside the comptroller, a panel member, and the secretary of the selection body, who also works in the support office for the Local Government Board.
Also identified in the images is a council general director—a position of trust under Mayor Eduardo Dolón—whose remit includes Heritage matters. The complaint states this official is the uncle of the winning candidate’s partner. A local councillor with delegation responsibilities relating to Heritage is also said to have taken part in the trip.
The complainant admits the photographs alone do not formally prove identities, exact dates, or close friendship, though the images have been confirmed as genuine. Another official pictured is the general secretary of the plenary council. The filing does not claim that travelling together automatically triggers legal abstention requirements, but requests that the court determine the true nature of these links and whether proper disclosure took place.
Final results and requested actions
The selected candidate scored 8.50 points in the examination and 1.31 in the merit phase, totaling 9.81 points. The complainant received 5.50 in the examination and 3.50 for merits, totaling 9 points—a difference of 0.81 points. A third candidate scored 2.85 in the exam and 1 point for merits, finishing on 3.85 points.
The complainant’s 5.50 score comprised 2.10 points for the written project and 3.40 for its defense. Subsequent appeals over partial scores were rejected by the panel.
The court has been requested to demand a full copy of the administrative file from Torrevieja Town Council, including rules, applications, projects, panel appointments, conflict disclosures, minutes, and scoring sheets.
The complainant stated that beyond potential legal implications, panel members should have abstained on ethical grounds alone due to friendship links, noting that the position carries influence over who will qualify for public housing under the regional government’s Vive plan, which includes roughly 800 planned homes in Torrevieja.
