Some footnotes to On Mastery (q.v.) ... About six weeks after the inauguration, when Carlos Fabra had invited the citizens of Castellón to enjoy the delights of the new Castellón airport, they were legally prohibited from doing so. It seems that the site is virtually unmanned, and so there were problems with health and safety legislation. I believe that we can discount unsavoury rumours about the possible theft of the control tower. Anyway, Fabra's generous gesture has unfortunately come to naught.

It may seem curious to inaugurate a new airport when you know perfectly well that people will notice that it is currently unusable due to not having a licence. Not so. The inauguration took place two days before the legal embargo on such politically inspired inaugurations which comes into force two months before any major round of elections – in this case, the large-scale local elections which took place yesterday, 22^nd May.

So, Fabra was not the only politician making sure that every voter in the area knew how jolly busy and successful he had been. Politicians of all parties were involved. Throughout Spain, ribbons were being cut, plaques unveiled, speeches were being made, and (most important of all) interviews were being given and photographs taken of dignitaries smiling confidently. New hospital wards were opened (with a discreet veil being drawn over the fact that other wards had just been closed due to the cuts). New motorways, new bridges (including one that had apparently already been open for a couple of months), new pedestrian crossings ...

Sadly, the great Castellón Airport speech was Carlos Fabra's last act of political mastery. He has retired, possibly to devote more time to legal affairs.

He has been under investigation for years on a range of charges involving alleged misuse of offical power. The investigation is currently in the hands of a fifth investigating judge, the previous four having decided that their careers would progress better outside Castellón. Anywhere outside Castellón. And in any post that doesn't involve dealing with Carlos Fabra.

Or tax affairs. Hacienda, the Spanish tax authority, has been curious to know the source(s) of large sums of money that appeared in the bank accounts of Carlos Fabra and his wife between 1999 and 2004. I read recently (but am unable to track down the precise quote) that his wife had managed to demonstrate the absolutely legal source of something like 93,000 euros. This must be very encouraging for them.

Well, relatively … the total sum in question is 3,713,796 euros.

(PS Hacienda To my English-language-influenced ear, this beautiful word suggests tax inspectors who look like Zorro, athletic, with pencil-thin black moustaches, lounging on terraces beneath the spreading jacaranda and mimosa, surrounded by the rich scent of jasmine, while they thumb through spreadsheets … )