Sánchez appointed as Andorra ambassador the mayor who waived €281,783 owed by Mínguez’s partner’s company

Pedro Sánchez’s government appointed Ángel Ros as Spain’s ambassador to Andorra in August 2018, four years after he signed a decree as mayor of Lleida exempting the company owned by Montse Mínguez’s partner from paying €281,783. The Objective reported the information on Tuesday.

The waiver was approved in June 2014, when Mínguez was second deputy mayor and head of the Economy department. 

According to the newspaper, the amount covered a reduction in the municipal concession fee and an exemption from an additional guarantee that Adaix de Negocios, the company operating the Larida nightclub, was required to pay.

Municipal concession with outstanding debts

Adaix de Negocios was awarded the concession to manage leisure activities at Lleida’s Gardeny park in 2009. The contract set an annual fee of €240,000, among other obligations. 

By the end of the concession, the company had accumulated debts with the city council, and only some of the instalments had reportedly been paid.

The Objective says that, to avoid a potential conflict with incompatibility rules, Mínguez’s partner had temporarily stepped aside from managing the company. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office investigated the waiver but closed the case.

Ros served as ambassador until February 2023

The Council of Ministers appointed Ros as Spain’s ambassador to Andorra on 3 August 2018, on the proposal of Foreign Affairs Minister Josep Borrell. 

The former mayor of Lleida was not a career diplomat. He held the post for four and a half years, until February 2023, when he was replaced after requesting retirement.

During his tenure, the Spanish king and queen made their first state visit to the Principality, and Andorra hosted the 2021 Ibero-American Summit.

The article also recalls that former councillor Marta Camps reported alleged irregularities during Ros’s time as mayor, including municipal expenses and allowances.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office closed the complaints, and the Lleida Provincial Court dismissed the case for insult and slander that Ros had brought against Camps.