Comptroller on sick leave after suspension amid €200,000 pension-plan irregularities

The municipal employee who had been provisionally suspended over alleged irregularities in the management of the officials’ pension plan took sick leave after returning to work last week and has not yet resumed his duties.

The worker served as comptroller of the Massana communal council until December 2023. The provisional suspension was ordered after an internal report, commissioned by the current communal team, pointed to possible irregularities in the administration of the pension plan. The measure was taken to protect the integrity of the file and ensure a proper investigation.

The amount thought to have been irregularly managed is estimated at around €200,000. Identified anomalies include payment of contributions to staff who, under the plan’s 2011 regulations, were not eligible beneficiaries—such as trusted appointees and temporary personnel—and the redistribution of budgetary surpluses among members according to salary, a practice that favoured higher earners.

The Batllia has an open judicial investigation into the matter, which has been assigned to Specialized Chamber No. 3. The communal council referred the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office following advice from its legal department and is now awaiting the justice system’s decision.