Ben Amics will report Cort for alleged irregular awards for the Palma Pride festival
The entity sees indications of influence peddling and fraudulent contracting in the organization of the party and will file a complaint before the courts and an administrative appeal
PalmaThe Ben Amics association has announced that it will file a judicial and administrative complaint against the Palma City Council for alleged irregularities that, according to the entity, surround the organization of the LGTBIQ+ Pride festival, scheduled for next June 27 in Plaça Major.
In a press conference, the technical coordinator of Ben Amics, Jan Gómez, stated that the association is working with its lawyer on a complaint that will be filed with the Palma courts and the municipal Contract Board. According to the entity's version, the procedure could involve possible offenses of influence peddling, conflict of interest, and fraudulent intervention in administrative contracting.
Ben Amics maintains that hours after reporting that the programming and the awarded company for the festival had not yet been made public, an Instagram account has appeared to promote the event. According to the association, both the posters and the profile's first followers link the organization to Antoni Martorell and Matias N. Providenti, those responsible for AgenciaCom.
According to the entity's version, the City Council would have started promoting the event and the awarded company would have started working before the corresponding contract had been formalized and published on the contractor's profile. Ben Amics considers that this circumstance could constitute an administrative irregularity.
The association also questions the choice of AgenciaCom. According to Ben Amics, the company has neither experience nor a track record in the LGTBIQ+ field nor in the organization of events related to this collective. "We do not understand that a marketing company is hired for the organization of the event," they point out.
Likewise, Jan Gómez has assured that the owner of the company is Antoni Martorell, whom he has linked to a conviction in a part of the Voltor case and to the advice of electoral campaigns for the Popular Party. According to Ben Amics' version, Martorell has also published articles and comments on social networks with transphobic content, in which he mocks the LGTBIQ+ flag and inclusive language.
"We do not understand that a person who confuses sex and gender can be the maximum responsible for the organization of Palma City Council's Pride," the association has stated.
The entity also considers that Cort could be violating the declaration of municipal interest of Pride, which, according to its interpretation, would prevent activities covered by this figure from generating profits for private companies. In this regard, it questions the presence of businesses linked to catering and drink bars during the festival.
This new episode exacerbates the tension between Ben Amics and Palma City Council following the criticisms made by the entity for the lack of information on the programming. Hours after these complaints, Cort has made public the Pride festival, scheduled between 6:00 PM and 12:00 AM in Plaça Major, with concerts, drag performances, and entertainment activities. ARA Balears has attempted to contact the City Council, but has not received a response.
