'Caso VPO de Alicante': el turbulento recorrido de un expediente que terminó repartiendo pisos protegidos a cargos del PP

The article, published by Público and authored by investigative journalist Ana María Pascual, examines the controversial “Caso VPO de Alicante,” a public‑housing scheme that became entangled in alleged corruption involving officials of the People’s Party (PP). The piece draws on court documents, municipal records and statements from the investigating magistrate Amparo Rubio, providing a detailed account of how a cooperative‑built protected‑housing project on municipal land was eventually allocated to relatives and associates of local officials.

The development comprises 140 apartments situated near San Juan Beach, each about 100 m², with amenities such as a parking space, social club, swimming pool and sports facilities. Prices were capped at €230,000, significantly below market value. The project was intended to address a twelve‑year shortage of public housing in Alicante, following a municipal decision in May 2016 to sell an 8,618 m² parcel for a €5.5 million public‑housing tender.

The tender process began in January 2017 but stalled due to an unfavourable municipal audit that highlighted the absence of a clear social‑benefit destination for the proceeds. After the PP‑led administration of Luis Barcala took office, the dossier was revived in April 2018, with new clauses requiring a social club and a tie‑breaker favouring the earliest offer. The cooperative Les Naus, formally established in July 2018, submitted its proposal within 24 hours of the public call on 5 September 2018, raising questions about privileged information.

The tender was suspended after rival promoters contested the tie‑breaker clause. The municipal legal adviser deemed the clause unsuitable, prompting its removal. Les Naus appealed the suspension; a lower administrative court sided with the council, but the Valencian Supreme Court later ruled that the municipality should have used a different selection criterion, ordering the process to continue. Ultimately, on 22 March 2022, the council awarded the contract to Les Naus, noting irregularities in the cooperative’s solvency documentation but accepting its special status.

The magistrate’s investigation has identified fifteen persons of interest, including former urban planning councillor Rocío Gómez, former director of internal organisation María Pérez‑Hickman (now head of contracting), and several of their relatives who obtained apartments. Additional figures under scrutiny are architect Francisco Nieto, cooperative manager Francisco Ordiñana, and Generalitat official Roberto Palencia, whose wife also benefited. The probe alleges offences such as prevarication, insider information, prohibited negotiations, administrative fraud and misuse of legal provisions.

The municipal land was sold for €5.5 million, while the total value of the 140 apartments, priced at a maximum of €230,000 each, amounts to €32.2 million. This represents a substantial discount compared to private‑market rates, highlighting the economic advantage conferred on the beneficiaries. The case also references a prior Supreme Court ruling that forced the Alicante council to pay €18.4 million to the developer Hansa for mismanagement under a previous PP administration.

Judge Amparo Rubio has demanded further documentation from the city council, including all records related to the parcel’s sale, the tender files dating from 2016, and evidence of compliance with income and ownership thresholds (families earning less than €54,000 and without other property). The investigation continues to assess whether procedural violations facilitated the allocation of protected housing to politically connected individuals.