Academia Valenciana de Juristas seeks €1 million from former Canet secretary
A ruling by the Provincial Court of Valencia (Audiencia Provincial) has opened a new civil claim of over €1 million against José Antonio Sancho Sempere, former municipal secretary of Canet d'En Berenguer.
Former municipal secretary of Canet d'En Berenguer (a town in Camp de Morvedre comarca) José Antonio Sancho Sempere faces another significant legal blow: Order 726/2026 from Section Three of the Provincial Court of Valencia (Audiencia Provincial), issued on 4 June, opens a civil compensation claim of over €1 million brought by the Academia Valenciana de Juristas (AVJ). The Audiencia Provincial de Valencia — the highest judicial body in Valencia province, with eleven sections (six civil, five criminal) — had already been involved in the case through criminal proceedings. Sancho Sempere was convicted in a criminal case in 2022 for using the AVJ itself — an entity he created — as a vehicle to channel private consultancy work while serving as a public official, earning money improperly through contracts with local councils. The same body he founded now pursues him through the civil courts for financial compensation. Canet d'En Berenguer town council had previously stated that Sancho Sempere's personal financial situation falls outside its remit. According to elperiodicodeaqui.com, the new ruling represents a further serious setback for the former official.