Former officials ‘looted city treasury’ to pay huge salaries

Six former officials of the scandal-ridden city of Bell go on trial this week in a massive corruption case that nearly bankrupted the Los Angeles suburb.

The former mayor and vice mayor and four former City Council members are charged with misappropriation of public funds in a 20-count felony complaint.

Prosecutors claim they looted the city’s treasury in order to pay themselves exorbitant salaries. The complaint says sham commissions were created to enrich the defendants.

Two major figures in the scam are not part of this trial. Former city manager Robert Rizzo and assistant city manager Angela Spaccia are scheduled to be tried separately. They have been accused of making millions while hiking taxes and fees for residents in the modest, blue-collar suburb where many live in poverty.

Jury selection begins today and the trial is set to last seven weeks. Key witnesses are expected to be former city employees and officials who discovered the shady dealings and were granted immunity from prosecution for their testimony.

A judge who presided at a preliminary hearing for the officials concluded they had shirked their responsibilities and sold out their constituents for financial gain.

“These people were elected to be the voice of the people, to be a safeguard,” said Superior Court Judge Henry Hall, who ordered them held for trial. “And they basically sold that off.”

Defence attorneys had argued that the council members earned their salaries, working full time on the city’s behalf, not only attending monthly council meetings but taking part in community projects that benefited low-income people and the aged.

Prosecutors contend that Rizzo had an annual salary and compensation package worth $1.5 million and masterminded a scheme to loot the city of Bell of more than $6m. His assistant city manager, Spaccia, was paid $376,288 a year.

Council members drew salaries of about $100,000 a year, which Hall said was about 20 times more than they were entitled to make.

The six defendants are expected to claim they worked hard for the city and were unaware of Rizzo’s financial manipulations.

Those set to go on trial are former Mayor Oscar Hernandez, former vice mayor Teresa Jacobo and former council members George Mirabal, George Cole, Victor Bello and Luis Artiga. Testimony is expected to focus on the creation of sham boards and commissions.