A magistrate found in favour of claimants and ordered the Junta de Andalucía to pay 14,000 euros in compensation. Two years went by and nothing was heard from the Junta, so the judge ordered two official cars to be embargoed for subsequent auction.

Officials at the Junta claim that ‘owing to a computer error, they had never heard of the court order.’ Whatever the case, no sooner had the affair hit the newspapers, the Junta promised to pay the money.

Councillor Telesfora Ruiz explained how the embargo notice, ordering the Policía Local to immobilize two vehicles, had come via fax in the evening of Wednesday the 2nd of October. However, as the court order did not specify which cars; no number plate or even make was specified, the Granada, Policía Local contacted the Department of Justice and Health of the Junta de Andalucía. The Junta promised they would pay during the course of the day,  and they would give instructions to the police on which cars to impound.

According to standing regulations, if a vehicle belonging to an administration is to be embargoed, it cannot be one that would impede the function of a department, therefore, for example, a police car cannot be impounded but an office one for the use of a politician can.

Finally, although the Junta is based in Sevilla, it has provincial offices in all the seven provinces of Andalucía, including Granada.

(News: Metropolitan Granada, Andalucia)