Tomeu Albons resigns as president of the ADN Mediterráneo Sailors' Association

Following the latest information published over this weekend in various media outlets, which has revealed to society the past of Tomeu Albons as having served, decades ago, prison sentences for engaging in drug trafficking activities, the board of directors of the entity, after studying the situation from various perspectives, has decided to accept the resignation of the president of ADN Mediterráneo since last December 2024.

None of the members of the new Board of Directors of ADN Mediterráneo, which took office on December 11, 2024, knew the facts published about the past of Bartolomé Albons, which is why the same board has expressed their surprise at the news appearing in the press these last few days.

On December 11, the mandate of a new board composed of several members of the association committed to the sea, sailing, and with the firm will to reaffirm the association as one of the main voices representing sea lovers in the Balearic Islands, including Tomeu Albons, began. Mr. Albons is a member of the association and a recognized sailor. He decided to assume the position of president. None of the other members forming that board knew the circumstances of his past that have now come to light, something that in light of the events has very negatively affected the reputation of the Association. Despite not doubting his desire, ideas, worth, and good disposition, his continuity at the head of the entity would invalidate ADN Mediterráneo as an interlocutor in achieving many of its social objectives. For that reason, the remaining members of the board have accepted Mr. Albons' letter of resignation from all his positions. Temporarily, the presidency of the association will be assumed by a member of the Board of Directors of ADN Mediterráneo.

"From here I put my newly appointed position at the disposal of the board of directors since I know that although they have trusted in me, perhaps my appointment may cause them more than one headache," explains Albons.

The ADN Mediterráneo Sailors' Association is a non-profit entity in the Balearic scope that has been working since 2004 to promote recreational sailing, defend the rights and interests of sailors against administrations, and raise awareness about the conservation of the marine environment. The ideological and economic independence of ADN Mediterráneo is absolute, and it carries out its activity exclusively thanks to private contributions received from its associates. Behind it are the achievements obtained in the past in reference to the defense of sailors, massive installation of buoy fields, defense of free anchoring, control of submarine emissaries, etc.

Therefore, "the board of ADN Mediterráneo deeply regrets the possible damage that this situation may have caused to sailors, associates, administration, and society in general due to the possible loss of prestige of the association, and is firmly committed to the values that it has always defended, which is why the executive team will continue working to maintain the image of the entity, its history and the hard work carried out by its previous boards and presidents in the past, developing a new project in a transversal manner, in which it has sought to represent all profiles of sailors based on the type of vessel or navigation, origin, regardless of whether their associates own vessels or not," they have stated.

Still, from the board of directors of ADN Mediterráneo they state that "we do not understand what benefit some information professionals could have obtained by airing the past of the person who until a few hours ago was the newly appointed president of the entity." Highlighting the fact that several media outlets have unearthed a story from the past that "has only managed to once again stigmatize a person who had already paid his debt to justice, making such publications shake the foundations of the principle of social reintegration. Tomeu is a free person who deserves all the opportunities like any other citizen. Without a doubt, he is a valid person, beloved, very capable, as well as an excellent sailor," they concluded.