German architect to appear in court in investigation into corruption during Palma Arena construction

Ralf Schürmann, the original architect and designer of the Palma Arena (Spanish Velodrome Palma), is to be the subject of a judicial investigation into alleged bribes and has been called as a witness to appear in court next Friday 12 December. Schürmann has already revealed through his lawyer that he endured pressure to inflate the costs of some items.

Researchers from the anti-corruption prosecutor, the Economic Crime Group, think that the prestigious German architect will be a key witness in the investigation into why the project, which was budgeted at 48 million euros , eventually cost approximately 110 million. The investigations into price fixing at the Palma Arena began under cover in August.

The German architect Ralf Schürmann was hired to design the sports complex because of his worldwide reputation as an expert in the design of velodromes, and began managing the project in the spring of 2005.

However, the architect’s relationship with the consortium for public works, composed of leaders of the PP in the Town Hall of Palma, Mallorca Council and the Balearic Islands Government deteriorated within only a few months.

Schürmann´s lawyer is expected to describe the problems the architect had with members of the consortium. The architect, according to his lawyer, said that the first incident occurred before the building work even began when he submitted a draft prior to demolition works. The German architect believed that tearing down old buildings erected on the site would cost only half the figure which was stated in the budget.

There were also differences with regard to the suggestion by the consortium that Schürmann should appoint a company to organize the technical direction of the project. More friction occurred when the consortium allegedly imposed certain technical assistants (i.e. other architects) on him.

The architect eventually broke off his relationship with the previous Government of the People’s Party and left the project in mid-March 2006 to be replaced by Dutchman Sander Douma. The consortium also engaged Mallorcan architects Jaume and Luis Garcia Ruiz to complete the project. (JR)