Canet d'en Berenguer: Opaque Contracts and Stalled Projects Under Scrutiny
Sagunto's neighbouring municipality of 8,297 residents is facing criticism over a controversial speed camera and a gastronomy project that has never opened, with the regional anti-fraud agency weighing in.
Canet d'en Berenguer — a 3.84 km² municipality fully surrounded by Sagunto's municipal area in the Camp de Morvedre district — is going through a period of institutional controversy. Two local government initiatives have drawn the most criticism: a disputed red-light speed camera and the so-called Instituto de la Paella (Paella Institute), a gastronomy promotion project that has still not opened years after being announced.
The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF) investigated the speed camera and found poor practices, manifestly inefficient management, and insufficient diligence. The agency also flagged the repeated use of minor contracts — a procurement route that bypasses public competitive bidding. The AVAF is an active watchdog: it issued 64 final investigation decisions in 2024 and 62 in 2023.
Under public and political pressure, the council removed the camera. However, concerns about the broader management model remain: contracts awarded with little transparency, image-driven projects lacking solid economic rationale, and weakened oversight mechanisms. For residents across Camp de Morvedre, the case shows how public trust can erode without criminal convictions — through a steady accumulation of decisions that fall short of civic standards. Source: El Periódico de Aquí.