Vilanova de Arousa mayor appeals to avoid criminal trial

Gonzalo Durán Hermida, the mayor of Vilanova de Arousa, has filed an appeal with the Fourth Section of the Provincial Court of Pontevedra. This legal move follows a decision by the Court of First Instance and Instruction Number 1 of Vilagarcía de Arousa to transform an investigation into an abbreviated procedure and proceed to oral trial.

The prosecution has identified solid and direct evidence of criminal activity. The mayor's defense is seeking a dismissal of the case, relying on a judicial pattern in the province where the Fourth Section has frequently applied a strict interpretation of the principle of 'ultima ratio' in criminal law to archive complex investigations involving high-ranking officials.