Probe Closed, No Irregularities Found

The Office of the Catalan Anti-Fraud Agency has formally archived a complaint alleging potential misappropriation of public funds by the Amposta Town Council regarding the municipal building lent in 2013 to EUSES, the Faculty of Sport and Health of the Terres de l’Ebre. In its resolution, the Anti-Fraud Office concluded that no irregularities justified continuing the investigation. The Amposta council welcomed the decision, stating it confirms its transparent and lawful management of public resources.

Utilities Payment Dispute Addressed

While EUSES has provided invoices proving it covers cleaning, maintenance, and operational costs, the Anti-Fraud Office confirmed the institution has not paid for water and electricity. The council explained that separate metering was not possible because the building is part of a larger cadastral unit without an independent reference. The agency acknowledged that this issue will be resolved once a pending cadastral alteration process is completed, which will assign the building its own cadastral reference and allow for dedicated meters. In the meantime, the Anti-Fraud Office has suggested the council and EUSES agree on a lump-sum payment based on equitable criteria to reimburse public funds spent on utilities.

New Concession to Expand Offer

Concurrently, the Amposta council has approved and launched a public tender for a new administrative concession for the university building. The August plenary session greenlit the process, opening it to interested universities to submit proposals. The new agreement aims to expand higher education in the city by introducing a Degree in Dentistry. It clearly establishes an annual fee of approximately €72,000, plus full responsibility for utilities, taxes, and municipal charges.

Performance-Based Fee Reduction

The annual fee may be reduced in exchange for EUSES investing over €1 million in expanding the building, with the improvements reverting to municipal ownership. This model mirrors previous agreements, such as the concession for the bar at Parc dels Xiribecs and the planned tender for the restaurant at Cases del Castell.

The new framework ensures fair compensation and long-term benefits for Amposta’s public patrimony.

Reported by Redacció U Ràdio, Ajuntament d'Amposta, imaginaradio.cat.