Mayor of Benahavís summoned to give evidence over alleged corruption
The mayor of Benahavís, José Antonio Mena, has been summoned to give evidence as an investigated party before a Marbella court over alleged offences of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds related to the illegal occupation of municipal land.
Mayor of Benahavís summoned to give evidence over alleged corruption
José Antonio Mena, mayor of Benahavís for the People's Party, has been summoned to give evidence as an investigated party before a Marbella court. The case centres on the alleged illegal occupation and economic exploitation of municipal land by a private company.
The complaint was initially filed by the local PSOE group. Following preliminary investigation, the state prosecutor's office found indications of criminal activity and decided to refer the case to the court. According to the public prosecutor's office, the facts could constitute abuse of office and misappropriation of funds, according to reports from Sydkusten.
The focus of the investigation falls on the Caserías del Esperonal area, where the luxury Marbella Club hotel is said to have used municipal land for years to install a large equestrian facility with stables, competition tracks and other attached buildings. The complaint emphasises that these lack administrative licences and municipal authorisation, in addition to no financial compensation having been paid to the town council. It is also noted that the situation is said to have been known and tolerated by the local government team over an extended period.
The mayor, who also holds the position of town councillor for Urban Planning, must appear before the court on 24 September. On the same day, other individuals have been summoned to give evidence, including the PSOE spokesperson who formalised the complaint, senior officials from the municipal administration and representatives of the hotel chain involved.
Source: Google News SE — Crime (sv)