Two and a Half Years in Prison for Former Finance Chief: When Trust, Illness and Oversight Collide

Two and a half years in prison after millions embezzled – a case occupying the island

In front of the courthouse in Palma the sounds that morning were close: the bells of the cathedral in the distance, the murmurs of neighbors, an occasional beep of a motorcycle on the Passeig des Born. Between groups of onlookers and a photographer who stood far away, the news arrived: the former finance councillor Pilar Bonet was convicted of embezzling around €2.17 million and sentenced to two and a half years in prison. In addition there is a fine – and the obligation to repay the full damage of exactly €2,170,200.80.

The key question: How could trust and control drift so far apart?

The verdict raises a simple but bitter question: How can a woman who held senior accounting responsibilities since 1992 and managed a department for two decades divert funds to her own accounts for years without internal control mechanisms responding? The answer lies not only in the amount but in structures: that a single person had access to multiple accounts, that payments apparently went through without sufficient cross-checking, and that for years apparently no one raised the alarm, a situation not unlike a major real estate fraud that exposed gaps at banks and authorities.

Personal tragedy meets public responsibility

The case is therefore not merely a line item in the accounts but a human story: a psychological report names in Bonet compulsive buying disorder and a persistent depressive disorder. The judge and the prosecution agreed a settlement that mitigated culpability – yet this cannot be called a complete exoneration. Similar settlements have previously resulted in suspended terms, for example a 21 months suspended sentence and repayment of €35,000. The court imposed a custodial sentence despite mitigating circumstances, because in Spain sentences of two years or more typically lead to imprisonment.

Neighbors said they had often seen the woman walking alone through Palma's old town, carrying bags from the Mercado de l'Olivar or from the small shop on the Plaça de Cort. They were astonished – not only at the size of the sum but also at the discrepancy between her social presence and the scale of the embezzlement. That makes the case tragic: mental illness that culminates in criminal behaviour, and a system that allowed such errors.

What is rarely discussed: prevention, restitution and reintegration

Public debates often focus on punishment. Less attention is given to three points that should now be considered aloud in Palma: First, preventive corporate structures. With a dozen accounts the defense mentioned and more than €400,000 in one of the accounts, it becomes clear how dangerous concentration of financial authority is. A concrete proposal: mandatory two-step approvals for payments above a certain threshold, regular external audits and a system to rotate those responsible.

Second, support and early detection of mental illness in the workplace. Compulsive buying is not a mere character flaw but a mental disorder that can be treated. Companies should expand workplace support services, offer employees confidential medical assistance and establish clear reporting channels for noticeable behavioural changes – without immediately subjecting the person to public shame.

Third, practical paths to restitution: the court demands repayment of the entire amount, but realistically recovery is often partial. Here legal and internal corporate rules must work together: installment plans, asset seizures, structured receivables management and parallel therapeutic offers so that repayment and treatment go hand in hand.

Legal process and the prospect of enforcement

Whether Bonet must begin serving the sentence or whether parts of the punishment will be suspended depends on further legal questions: possible appeals, agreements on restitution and enforcement rules. In Spain there is some flexibility – for example probation conditions if certain requirements are met – yet the two-year threshold makes the situation precarious for the convicted person.

For Palma the case remains a mirror. The island community watches how responsibility, illness and legal consequences collide. Perhaps the most urgent lesson is less about retribution and more about prevention: better corporate controls, accessible mental health support for employees and clear paths to make amends. Then the next Plaça de Cort would not just be a place of whispering, but one where the lesson has been learned.

The sun beat down that day over the Paseo Marítimo, voices faded, and people returned to their cafés. The island keeps talking – about trust, about mistakes and about how to take better care in the future without losing sight of the human being involved.