Courts in Málaga are taking as long as four years to hear cases

Courts in Málaga are taking as long as four years to hear the most simple of cases, according to a report in the Diario Sur newspaper today. The number is noted by the General Council for Judicial Power, the body which oversees the judiciary in Spain, which notes that things are particularly bad in Estepona, Marbella and Fuengirola.
The other side of the coin is in Antequera where cases are generally completed in some eight to ten months.The Deacon of the Málaga Lawyers College, Manuel Camas, noted that the situation was worse than a year ago along the Costa del Sol, and that in his opinion, prove that resources in the province are seriously lacking.

Jack McGill on the run from Spanish police after skipping bail following his arrest with Harrison in October 2006.

Ex-drug dealer Jack McGill’s body was discovered hanged in woodland, it emerged yesterday. McGill, 52, had been on the run from Spanish police after skipping bail following his arrest with Harrison in October 2006. They were accused of attacking two men in Malaga. The uncle spent five months on remand in jail before bail was posted – while his ex-WBO featherweight champ nephew was freed within weeks. McGill’s body was found in Glasgow. Last night a source said: “He felt abandoned by the Harrison camp.” The fighter, 30, who hails from the city, denies assault and will stand trial in Spain in September.

Banesto corruption allegations

Former International Monetary Fund head Rodrigo Rato appeared before a judge Tuesday probing corruption allegations at Spanish bank Banesto whilst he was economy minister, Spanish media said. Rato, his brother Ramon, the head of Santander bank Emilio Botin and 12 others are being investigated in connection with the 1999 purchase by Banesto of 45.3 percent of the Aguas de Fuensanta water utility company from the Rato family.In his one-hour appearance, Rato, who was economy minister in the conservative government at the time, denied wrongdoing and said he was not aware of the details of sale, Spanish media said, quoting lawyers at the hearing.The judge opened his probe following a complaint filed by a Santander and Banesto shareholder.The complaint said Banesto, a subsidiary of the Santander bank, bought the stake in Aguas de Fuensanta from the Rato family even though the water utility was "technically bankrupt" in the hope of "obtaining favours" from the economy minister.Rato stepped down as head of the IMF last year after more than three years in the job.

Cargoes of cannabis over the Strait from Ceuta to the Costa del Sol

Details have been released of a National Police operation against a drug smuggling gang which operated between Ceuta and the Costa del Sol, and which brought large amounts of cannabis into Spain illegally. Central government offices in Ceuta said eleven arrests have taken place in Marbella, Estepona and Ceuta, and that six of them were from the Autonomous City, two from Málaga province, and the remaining three were Moroccan.It has been a joint investigation on both sides of the Strait, which brought information that the gang planned to make a drugs run to Estepona on the 5th of this month. The haul amounted to more one and a half tons of cannabis, and would, according to information from EFE, have brought the smugglers almost 2.5 million €.Also confiscated in the operation were the Zodiac boat the smugglers used for the trip across the Strait of Gibraltar, a stolen van and two other vehicles, satellite telephones, and GPS navigation equipment.

Double whammy due to hit Costa del Sol

Families planning a summer holiday abroad face paying up to a fifth more than they did last year.Researchers from price comparison website Travelsupermarket.com compared popular packages for 2008 with similar ones from last year.
They found that a two-week self-catering break for a family of four (two adults and two children) in Benalmadena on the Costa Del Sol has risen by £246 to £1,504.
The rise is blamed on the double whammy of rocketing jet fuel prices, which have gone up by 80 per cent in the past year, and a weak pound against the euro - last year £1 was worth 1.5 euros, this year under 1.2.It means that not only are flights more expensive, but so too are hotels, and food and drink when you get there. the cost of a hotel in Benalmadena has shot up from £700 to £855.

Three Spanish nationals and ten Moroccans between the ages of 18 and 51, were arrested on Thursday

Police in Spain said Sunday they had smashed a drug trafficking ring with the arrest of 13 mostly Moroccan men in Barcelona and the seizure of narcotics worth 41,000 euros (64,000 dollars), AFP informed.
The 13, three Spanish nationals and ten Moroccans between the ages of 18 and 51, were arrested on Thursday following an investigation that lasted several months, police said in a statement.
"The operation remains open and more detentions have not been ruled out," it said.
Police seized cocaine worth 5,000 euros and hashish worth 36,000 euros, as well as scales and tools to prepare the drugs, and machetes and fake guns during searches of five homes.
Spain, with its extensive southern coastline, is Europe's main entry point for Moroccan hashish and cocaine from South America, mostly from its former colony Colombia, the world's biggest producer of the drug.

Isabel García, the wife of Santiago del Valle, the man accused of the killing of the five year old girl from Huelva

Isabel García, the wife of Santiago del Valle, the man accused of the killing of the five year old girl from Huelva, Mari Luz Cortés, suffered a nervous attack while declaring before Instruction Court 1 in Huelva about the case. The extent of her indisposition was such that the hearing had to be suspended.She arrived at Huelva Provincial Court at 4,45pm yesterday evening and was first subjected to a forensic investigation to determine her mental health. When she was then taken before the judge she suffered the attack and an ambulance had to be called, which finally took her shouting and crying to the hospital at the Sevilla – II jail. She has been held in the psychiatric wing of the prison since the start of April, where she is serving an outstanding 15 month prison sentence for failing to report the sexual abuse her husband carried out on their own five year old daughter.
When and how the case continues is now in the hands of the judge.

Mediterráneo Casino in La Vila Joiosa in tax fraud

Mediterráneo Casino in La Vila Joiosa has been declaring five fewer tables to the authorities than it has actually be running since 1999. The allowed the company to escape and estimated 1.1 million € in municipal taxes.The casino is one of the largest in Spain and has been paying taxes on 15 tables instead of 20. Director, Antonio Baraja Mayordomo, told El País that he had no idea how many tables were in use, but claimed all was legal. Currently the casino pays about 450,000 € in municipal taxes a year. A new large hotel and 4,000 new homes are now planned on land adjoining the premises.

Legal action started against the promoter, Ellamare Holdings S.L. which now faces a fine as large as 100,000 €.

Manilva Town Hall has ordered the immediate halt to building on the front line of the beach in an area of land not suitable for building because it is catalogued as being of environmental interest in the province’s protection plan.
The land concerned is known as Punta Chullera, and the local environment councillor, Emilio López, has also ordered water and power supply companies to stop servicing the area.Legal action will now be started against the promoter, Ellamare Holdings S.L. which now faces a fine as large as 100,000 €.
Those who want to challenge the situation have 15 days to do so.

British man has been arrested in Spain in connection with rape offences

A British man has been arrested in Spain in connection with rape offences committed in south-east London, police have said.The 49-year-old is accused of raping the same victim repeatedly over a number of years. Sources named the man as Ricky Devine. He was held in Alicante on the Costa del Sol earlier this month.He is being held under a European Arrest warrant and faces extradition to the UK. The offences are alleged to have taken place in Bexley from 2000. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "Spanish police arrested a 49-year-old British man on suspicion of rape on May 9."

Benalmadena coach crash that killed nine tourists from Finland drunk driver was travelling at 155km an hour

Jesús GR, the driver responsible for a coach crash on the A-7 motorway near Benalmadena on April 19th that killed nine tourists from Finland and left 42 others injured, was travelling at 155km an hour, according to the conclusions of the Guardia Civil's Accident Reconstruction team. The driver, who was transferred to jail following his eventual release from hospital, tested over the limit for alcohol and initially claimed to have been going no faster than 130km an hour. The coach transporting the party of tourists to Málaga airport at the end of their holiday, was calculated to have been travelling at 99.9km an hour at the moment of impact.

65 year old man was arrested in Benidorm over the death of his 53 year old wife, who fell from a 12th floor balcony

65 year old man was arrested in Benidorm over the death of his 53 year old wife, who fell from a 12th floor balcony at their home in the Cénit building on the calle La Pipa . It seems that the victim had denounced her partner for domestic violence on a number of previous occasions, but had never applied for a restraining order which meant they still lived together. Autopsy results confirm that the woman died in the fall, but it was impossible to establish if she had been pushed off the balcony.
A neighbour explained that the couple had moved to Benidorm from San Sebastián around a year ago, and confirmed that they quarrelled often, that both were heavy drinkers, and that the victim "had seemed very depressed recently."
She also confirmed that the pair had quarelled on Sunday evening and that the police had been called to their home. When asked why the victim had never applied for a restraining order, her neighbour explained that it was impossible because she could not afford the flat on her own.

Philip Michael H ,Darrel Lee A accused of putting their hands up the skirts of three air hostesses several times during a flight from the UK.

According to a report in El Mundo, two British men - Philip Michael H (32) and Darrel Lee A (37) - were arrested by Guardia Civil officers at Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca. They are accused of putting their hands up the skirts of three air hostesses several times during a flight from the UK.

Yulisa Antonia Pérez from the Dominican Republic, whose corpse was found on a rubbish tip near Arrecife stepfather arrested

stepfather of 18 year old Yulisa Antonia Pérez from the Dominican Republic, whose corpse was found on a rubbish tip near Arrecife (Lanzarote) at the end of last year, five days after she was reported missing, has been re-arrested and charged with her murder. The suspect was first taken into protective custody on the day Yulisa's body was found after being accused of her murder by some within the local Dominican community, who were threatening to lynch him. Yulisa's partially-buried body was found by a local man out walking his dog on November 13th and the autopsy revealed that she died of ashpyxiation. However, apart from having her hands tied behind her back, there were no other signs of violence, and she had not been raped.
It seems that Yulisa's mother, Irma (photo), had moved in with the suspect around six months before Yulisa was killed. The family lived in the Los Geranios district of the island's capital.

Salamanca matador Javier Valverde is reported to be recovering satisfactorily after being seriously gored at Estepona bullring

Salamanca matador Javier Valverde is reported to be recovering satisfactorily after being seriously gored in the right buttock yesterday by the second bull - his first - of the afternoon at Estepona bullring. The matador underwent emergency surgery at the ringside infirmary, where his team presented him with one of the bull's ears, before being transferred to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella. According to his doctors, Valverde sustained three deep wounds (18cm, 20cm and 25cm) that caused serious damage to the matador's gluteus maximus and biceps femoris muscles.

Two youths were arrested yesterday after a 37 year old man from Vallmoll was stabbed to death outside a Reus night club

Two youths were arrested yesterday after a 37 year old man from Vallmoll was stabbed to death outside a Reus night club during the early hours of Saturday morning.
The arrests were made on the basis of a statement of a third youth, who turned up at Reus police station on Sunday morning after hearing a radio news bulletin, saying that a man had been killed in the town overnight and fearing that one of his two companions may have been responsible. It seems that the victim was stabbed after a row about him urinating on the pavement. The informer, who was taken to the police station by his father, was later released without charge. Other eye-witnesses claim that it took more than twenty minutes for the first ambulance to arrive on the scene. Three days' official mourning have been declared by Vallmoll town council, and around 300 people observed a one-minute's silence outside the Town Hall yesterday.

stag party-goers Bus driver arrested during the early hours after a positive breath test

The 45 year old driver of a bus carrying a party of nineteen stag party-goers was arrested during the early hours of yesterday morning after a positive breath test at a routine police control, leaving his passengers to make their own way back to Sevilla city-centre on foot. The man was stopped at around 4.30am on the SE-30 near the Tablada/ exhibition centre exit.
He was taken into custody after officers also discovered that his licence had already been confiscated, and jailed following a preliminary court hearing yesterday.

Spain has announced the arrest of five hackers

Spain has announced the arrest of five hackers said to be responsible for attacks on over 21,000 web pages and more over two years.
Back in March, hackers shut down the site of one of Spain’s political parties following an election. The Spanish police began to investigate, and last week announced they’d arrested the culprits, the BBC has reported.
They’ve been accused not only of the Spanish crime, but also with attacking government sites in Asia, Latin America and the US.
Among the fives, who were arrested in Barcelona, Burgos, Malaga and Valencia, were two 16-year-olds.

"Helldorado" - paradise that has mutated into a nightmare.

"for sale" signs are the most stark warning yet that the Spanish property bubble has finally burst. Here in Southern Spain, bitter expats talk about "Helldorado" - paradise that has mutated into a nightmare. Tumbling property prices, a glut of new properties still flooding onto the market and rising Spanish interest rates are taking their toll. Added to this, illegal building practices mean that 100,000 coastal homes are now under threat of demolition. And to make matters even worse, the pound has fallen almost 12 per cent against the euro over the last year, leaving many British residents even further out of pocket.

Helldorado as Costa del Sol's biggest estate agents file for voluntary insolvency

Costa del Sol's biggest estate agents has filed for voluntary insolvency has deepened the gloom over southern Spain's property market. Viva Estates was one of the area's biggest success stories. It was set up ten years ago by an Englishman, Chris McCarthy, using the cricketer Ian Botham to raise its profile and within a few years operated from 15 offices. In the past 12 months, all but one of those offices has closed and more than 100 staff have lost their jobs.
Half the 80,000 estate agents in business at the beginning of 2007 were closed by the end of the year. Demand for cement is at its lowest level in 11 years as developers stop building. And yet by the end of this year, there will be an estimated one million unsold properties on the Spanish market. Another two million lie empty. Add to that the global credit crunch and mounting Spanish interest rates, and as one real estate agent put it this week: "It's like the UK situation on steroids."

Nerja teacher has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing an 11 year old

32 year old Nerja teacher, named with the initials A.P. and who works at the Nueva Nerja Primary School, has been arrested at his home in Torrox, on charges of sexually abusing an 11 year old member of his family.
The married father of two was arrested in Saturday evening charged with continued abuse of the 11 year old girl. He is well known in Nerja and also works as a Civil Protection volunteer.

Police are investigating the death of a 35-year-old woman who was found in a swimming pool

Police are investigating the death of a 35-year-old woman who was found in the swimming pool at the house where she lived in the Arroyo Gragea area of Alhaurin de la Torre. Police initially suspected her husband, from whom she was separated and whom she had reported on several occasions for threatening to kill her, abusing her and telling her to get out of the house, but he was later released. She had also presented complaints against him for such actions as slashing her tyres, taking away her keys and cutting off the water, but he was still allowed access to the plot but forbidden from entering the house.Her body was found when a teacher at her daughter’s school alerted neighbours that the woman had not come to pick up her 13-year-old daughter. Local Police were called and the body, which showed signs of violence, was found in the swimming pool. Guardia Civil officers then took over the case and the woman’s 50-year-old husband was called. He apparently took some time to arrive, although he lives in the same area, saying he had been in Cadiz. Statements were taken from him and his current partner and both were later released.Blood was found at the entrance to the house, where it is believed the woman was first attacked, and on paving stones leading to the swimming pool, some of which may have been used to hit her. The woman’s neck had been wounded and there was severe bruising to her face, although it seems the cause of death was drowning and that she was still alive when she entered the water. The time of death has not yet been confirmed although she was last seen alive at 10am while shopping in the town. There were no signs of forced entry at the house, but the contents of her handbag had been strewn about. Officers believe the murderer did this in an attempt to make the crime look like a robbery.

men on two motorbikes stole 5,000 euros from a man who had just withdrawn the money from a bank in Los Boliches

Four men on two motorbikes stole 5,000 euros from a man who had just withdrawn the money from a bank in Los Boliches, Fuengirola, firing blanks to intimidate him and managing to take the envelope full of money, which they seem to have known he was carrying, from him. They then escaped on the motorbikes, one a white Yamaha scooter which had been stolen from Mijas some days earlier.National Police circulated a bulletin in an attempt to trace the robbers, but with no success. This type of crime is becoming more frequent in the province. One month ago, 20,000 euros were stolen from a woman in Velez Malaga after she was assaulted by robbers who where waiting for her.

Eight suspects detained and a considerable amount of drugs seized was the outcome of a large-scale police operation carried out recently in Olhao

Eight suspects detained and a considerable amount of drugs seized was the outcome of a large-scale police operation carried out recently in Olhao and Faro. Thirty police investigators assisted by a team of the PSP Police Special Forces performed nine house searches and confiscated 6,000 individual doses of cocaine, one firearm, 40 mobile phones and 13,500 euros in cash. According to a police source, the suspects were part of an organised crime gang involved in drug trafficking. The same source said the police investigation, which started in February 2007, was able to fully dismantle the operation. A spokesman said: “This police operation’s objective was not only to dismantle this drug trafficking gang but also to target other criminal activities related to drugs consumption like petty thefts and robberies to villas and apartments.” The eight suspects who were detained are aged between 22 and 45. This police operation followed a similar one which was carried out a few days earlier in the Portimao area. Officers were able to detain 12 suspects and seize 3,800 individual doses of cocaine, 5,800 doses of heroin, as well as 5,300 euros in cash and a considerable amount of stolen jewellery and other goods worth several hundreds of thousands of euros, which the police believe were stolen. In a press release, Faro PSP police said that three house searches were performed in the Bairro do Palacio area, a place where the authorities believe drug-dealing activities were frequently taking place. During the first four months of 2008, the police have already detained 33 suspects in that same area of Portimao.

Sentenced a 46-year-old Portuguese woman, who was found to have almost 500g of cocaine

Sentenced a 46-year-old Portuguese woman, who was found to have almost 500g of cocaine in the home she shared with another woman in La Joya area, to three years in prison for a crime against public health and set a 1,000-euro fine for selling substances that endanger public health. The sentence was reduced due to the woman’s addiction to the substance which she sold out of a broken window to pay for her own habit and which had diminished her mental capacity. In June 2006, National Police found 422.32 grams of the drug in 150 packs of different size and weight, with a pureness of between 27 and 73 per cent, which would have had a value of 490 euros. Police also confiscated methadone tablets, three blades on which traces of the drugs were found, bicarbonate, hiposodic saline solution, a spoon, a mirror and aluminium paper.

Aloa sailing ship, which sails under a German flag, had been moored in the Almerimar Port in El Ejido and was being prepared to distribute hashish,

code-named ‘Operacion Testa’, and carried out by members of the Customs Vigilance Service (DAVA) and the Guardia Civil, led to the arrest of two people found to be carrying some 2,100 kilos of hashish on a boat 10 miles south of Almeria Port.The operation began last November, targeting pleasure boats in the area which were believed to be transporting drugs. The Aloa sailing ship, which sails under a German flag, had been moored in the Almerimar Port in El Ejido and was being prepared to distribute hashish, which had been picked up in Morocco, through local ports Officers who boarded the ship found 70 packs of hashish and arrested a 65-year-old Spanish man and his 27-year-old son who have been taken into custody and charged with crimes against Public Health.The father has a criminal record for similar offences and has served time in prison for murder. His son has a record for violent behaviour towards women.The 11 metre-long ship, which is worth some 100,000 euros has been impounded and remains in Almeria Port. A BMW and several mobile phones have also been confiscated.

Juan Pedro G, former leader of Ojén, is on trial this week charged with crimes against the environment

Former mayor is facing prison for agreeing to the installation of a rubbish dump, which resulted in the pollution of a nearby stream.
Juan Pedro G, former leader of Ojén, is on trial this week charged with crimes against the environment. Due to the location of the dump, the mouth of the brook known as El Arroyo Segundo was contaminated.In addition to a custodial sentence, the ex-mayor could also be forced to pay the costs of cleaning up the stream.

1,000-square metre plantation of cannabis sativa (hemp) in Dos Hermanas

Two brothers, M.P.M. and F.P.M. owners of a 1,000-square metre plantation of cannabis sativa (hemp) in Dos Hermanas (Sevilla) claimed in court last week that the bushes, planted in perfectly straight lines and equipped with a drip irrigation system, provided shade for their 80 valuable fighting cocks and chickens. They denied cultivating the hemp for drugs and explained that the plants were both male and female unlike those grown for cannabis, which are exclusively female. The defence counsel for the brothers, also maintained that according to an initial valuation the 1,200 kilos of plants were worth only 231 euros, although a later estimate placed it at 2,800 euros. If found guilty the brothers face sentences of up to nine years.

Corruption case prosecution will be asking for a six-year jail sentence for Hidalgo and Gibert

The former mayor of Andraitx, Eugenio Hidalgo, together with Jaime Gibert, the former Andraitx planning inspector, Jaime Massot, an ex-Balearic government planning chief, and a former legal advisor, Ignacio Mir, are expected to be present on the first day of the proceedings.The prosecution will be asking for a six-year jail sentence for Hidalgo and Gibert, with two years for Massot and 12 months for Mir.
This case came to light 18 months ago when the Guardia Civil serious fraud squad launched an operation called ‘Voramar’ which included a raid on Andraitx Town Hall and various properties and offices in Palma.
This investigation really did open a can of worms and all kinds of planning irregularities and corruption scandals were uncovered, which hit the front pages of newspapers all over Spain. The enquiry also resulted in the ruling political party, the Partido Popular, losing control of Andraitx Council and their defeat in the local elections last year.corruption case involving Andraitx Council has begun this week.

400,000 mainly small investors in Spain had put their money in stamps, through programmes marketed by two companies, Afinsa and Forum.

With today being the second anniversary of Spain's biggest stamp scandal, it has emerged that the Spanish authorities have requested the cooperation of Gibraltar, via Interpol, to try and establish a possible Gibraltar link.
Over 400,000 mainly small investors in Spain had put their money in stamps, through programmes marketed by two companies, Afinsa and Forum. But, in total, they ended up losing 6 billion euros.Spanish police suspect that the ex directors of the two firms may have diverted money through a number of countries, including Gibraltar. They simulated the purchase and sale of stamps, but values were exaggerated artificially. The other countries mentioned include Andorra, Germany, Italy, Canada and the British Virgin Islands.It is also believed that there were cases of property corruption and money laundering on the Costa del Sol by those implicated.But progress has been slow on the judicial front. The traditional slowness of the Spanish justice system was worsened by a strike of officials.
Many of the investors affected keep asking why progress has been so slow and are demanding that something be done to enable them regain their savings and investments.

Santiago del Valle disposed of the infant girl's body in a sewer around 300 metres from his apartment in Huelva

Santiago del Valle, a convicted paedophile arrested in March for the murder of five-year-old Mari Luz Cortés, has told a judge that he disposed of the infant girl's body in a sewer around 300 metres from his apartment in Huelva.
Mari Luz's body was found in an estuary outside the city 54 days after her disappearance on 13 January.In his court testimony from 27 March, which was made public this week, Del Valle admitted to enticing Mari Luz into the entrance hall to his apartment block with a toy after seeing her alone on the street. He claims she fell as she climbed the stairs and hit her head."I didn't touch her," Del Valle, who was previously convicted for abusing his own daughter and another young girl, told the judge. He said he "became scared," stuffed Mari Luz into a shopping handcart and walked around 300 metres to a sewer cap. He dropped her inside.
"I didn't know if she was alive or dead," he said.The autopsy revealed that Mari Luz died from asphyxia. Del Valle's testimony differs substantially from that of his sister, who is also a suspect in the girl's murder. Rosa del Valle said that on the day of Mari Luz's disappearance, she had driven her brother to a shopping mall near marshland on the outskirts of the city. She said he took the handcart with him - something she thought odd given that 13 January was a Sunday.

Drug arrests came after two boats ran out of fuel and had to wait in the estuary for a third to bring fresh supplies of gasoline

Eleven people have been arrested in connection with the smuggling of 5,100 kilos of hashish.‘Operación Carabela’ began last December and was an investigation into an international network of drugs smugglers bringing hashish into Spain via the Guadalquivir river and then distributing it throughout Europe.
Sometimes the organisation used fishing boats, other time they used speed boats. The arrests came after two boats ran out of fuel and had to wait in the estuary for a third to bring fresh supplies of gasoline. The Guardia Civil began a chase which led to the arrest of seven of the gang members. Three others, including the head of the organisation were subsequently arrested in Los Barrios, Cádiz and another was detained in Punta Umbria, Huelva.Raids on several houses belonging to the detainees resulted in the seizure of drugs and weapons.

Spanish police have seized more than 700 priceless artifacts

Spanish police have seized more than 700 priceless artifacts plundered from archaeological sites in South America and smuggled to Europe, they said on Tuesday.
The pieces, predating the Spanish conquest, included dozens of valuable golden objects, masks, vessels, pendants and maces, stolen from Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
An Interior Ministry statement said police had arrested a Spanish man and his Colombian wife who had been trafficking in stolen artifacts for years, selling them in auction houses in Europe, mainly in France.
The couple had planned to stage an exhibition and auction this month in France, but were arrested after returning from Colombia.The seized artifacts will be sent for analysis to the Madrid Archaeological Museum and authorities expected them to be claimed by their countries of origin.

No help for theSpanish property market as Spain teeters on the brink .

The Spanish Minister for Tax and the Economy, Pedro Solbes, has said that he is against doing anything to halt the adjustment of ‘the excesses’ of the construction industry which had been seen over recent years.Earlier in the week the Minister admitted that the slow-down in the sector had been far quicker than he had expected, but his comments today before the Economy and Tax Commission in Congress show that he thinks the market needs to correct itself, so that investment in residential property ‘can return to normal levels of growth’. He said that the economy would return to growth levels of 3% in the year 2010.It means Solbes has dismissed a request from the Banks and Savings Banks Associations which had called on the Government to use the Pensions Fund to help finance the real estate and construction crisis. He said that a budgetary deficit would have to be assumed given the economic slowdown.Solbes also told the Economy and Tax Commission in Congress that the cabinet was going to reorder how the financial system and sector is supervised in Spain. He said that a ‘double control’ model already existed in other countries and that such a system here would see supervision divided between the Bank of Spain and the CNMV, The National Commission for Market Values, with the Bank checking on solvency levels and the CNMV checking on company behaviour.The PP spokesman on the Commission, Cristóbal Montoro, had said there was ‘nothing new under the son’ from the Minister.

six of the ex GIL councillors, in Marbella Town Hall between 1995 and 1999, have finally accepted the deal offered to them by the Prosecutors’ Office

The Málaga environmental prosecutors office has reach a pact with the ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz and five others, Marisa Alcalá, Dolores Zurdo, Rafael González, Manuel Calle and Mario Jiménez, who have each accepted a 12 month prison term on each charge. As there are dozens of charges in each case, the law establishes a maximum of triple the term imposed in each case, so the six are to serve a total three years each in prison.

Only six of the ex GIL councillors, in Marbella Town Hall between 1995 and 1999, have finally accepted the deal offered to them by the Prosecutors’ Office under which their cases will not have to go to court, but they will serve shorter prison terms.The defence lawyer Ernesto Osuna, who was acting for several of the ex councillors, commented that time already served by his clients in the Proinsa and Moansa real estate cases would de deducted from the three year total. He described the deal as ‘very positive’ and thought the ex councillors would start serving their time in September.In the case of Julián Muñoz, it means the ex Mayor will avoid nearly 100 additional cases for serving just one additional year in jail.The situation is more complicated for those councillors who were in the Marbella Town Hall between 1999 and 2003 who used the PGOU dating from 1998 in a fraudulent way – that’s to say they based their decisions on the PGOU despite it not having been approved by the Junta de Andalucía. This is the case for the ex-councillors, Tomás Reñones or Francisco Lendínez, who say they will only accept a fine and not a prison sentence. Defence sources say the Prosecutors’ Office is not prepared to change the deal for that group as yet, but that talks on these councillors are set to restart in June.

National Police today carried out raids against the Municipal Police force in the Madrid town of Coslada, headed by the Chief of the local police

National Police today carried out raids against the Municipal Police force in the Madrid town of Coslada, headed by the Chief of the local police Ginés Jiménez Buendía. Nearly 30 municipal policemen were arrested in the operation accused of taking part in the extortion of bars, shops and prostitutes in the town. Searches were carried out in both the Coslada police station and the homes of the police chief, and some of the others arrested, including the Mayor’s chauffer and bodyguard. El Mundo reports that the National Police has been investigating the town for several months, and this latest operation is the second stage of a case which started with investigations into a Romanian mafia linked to prostitution. There are reports of telephone taps being used to confirm the criminal activity.The Councillor for Safety in Coslada Town Hall, Antonio Murillo, is now trying to reorganise the remaining 159 police who remain. The Regional Madrid Government is to ask for ‘an urgent explanation’ from the Mayor of Coslada, Ángel Viveros Gutiérrez.

Julián Muñoz, are refusing to accept the prosecutor’s demand that all those charged with perversion of the course of justice

The idea of a forming a plea bargain pact with the prosecutor has, according to El País, split the ex-GIL party councillors in Marbella who face corruption and other real-estate related charges.Defence lawyers are trying to get the prosecutor’s offer of short jail terms replaced by mere financial penalities.
The prosecutor wants a deal to speed up the some 70 cases which are linked to the town, most for the granting of building licences for illegal constructions.
However some of the ex Councillor defendants, including Tomás Reñones and Alberto García Muñoz, the nephew of the ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz, are refusing to accept the prosecutor’s demand that all those charged with perversion of the course of justice linked to real estate spend between one and three years in prison, according to each case. They want only to face fines. The newspaper reports that those who have already been inside, such as Julián Muñoz and Marisa Alcalá, are more disposed to accept the prosecutor’s offer.
The next stage is a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) between the prosecutors’ office and the lawyers of the ex-councillors to see what progress can be made.

Santiago del Valle lured Mari Luz Cortés with a teddy bear

El País newspaper today prints what it says is the statement made by Santiago del Valle in court in Huelva. He’s the man who is accused of killing the Huelva five year old Mari Luz Cortés on January 13th. The newspaper says that his version of events is denied by the police and other statements, but he claims that he threw down a small teddy bear through a window at the door to his home, and called her. The five year old picked it up and entered into the hall of his building. ‘This is what happens to me with small girls’, he said. ‘I can’t help it’. He then called her upstairs and says she was scared and fell down the stairs knocking her head and ending up unconscious. Del Valle told the court that there was no blood and he panicked. He got a supermarket trolley and put her inside, covering her head with a black jacket.He said he only had to travel 300metres when he found a drain which he opened and placed the child inside. He claims he did not know whether she was alive or dead, but he heard a bang as he dropped her inside the drain. ‘I don’t understand how she appeared in the river’, he said ‘I did not put her there’.
He then says he told his wife, who did not believe him, and the couple left for Sevilla the next day after they were attacked by some local gypsies and feared more attacks. He said his sister Rosa was not involved.Meanwhile members of Santiago del Valle’s family have now left the district after a series of attacks against them and their property. ‘We’ve done nothing and have nothing to do with my brother’, complained one before they left.

Arrested Joseph Henry B. member of the crime network involved in the drug shipments

Udyco sources indicate that the hashish was hidden in the bottom of containers in which the man's company, located in an industrial park in Mijas Costa, shipped high-voltage batteries to Great Britain via France. Police first became suspicious of the man's company when they noticed that, although there was little activity in the Mijas warehouse, the company made periodic shipments to France, which were then sent on to Britain through an international transport company. The Udyco team intercepted one of the shipments and found 700 kilos of hashish hidden in the bottom of the container. The police also seized two stolen vehicles they believe were used to transport the drugs to the Mijas warehouse. One of the vehicles still contained the sacks in which the hashish was brought to Spain from Morocco. The police will continue their investigation, in collaboration with Interpol and Europol, in an effort to identify additional members of the crime network involved in the drug shipments. They believe the group may also have been involved in illegal trafficking of heavy vehicles.

Convicted paedophile Santiago del Valle has committed other crimes.

Mari Luz Cortes grandfather Juan Cortes said: "The authorities should investigate him fully because that way they may be able to discover what happened to Madeleine. We are sure he is hiding other secrets from the police." Relatives of five-year-old Mari Luz Cortes claim convicted paedophile Santiago del Valle has committed other crimes.
Mari Luz was found dead near her home in Huelva 54 days after she went missing last January. The city is 90 minutes from Praia da Luz, Portugal, where Maddie vanished a year ago. Her parents Kate, 40, and Gerry, 39, of Rothley, Leics, have already called on Portuguese police to find out where del Valle was last May. He admits dumping Mari Luz’s body and is in jail awaiting trial — but insists she died by accident. Mr Cortes added: "At least we have found our little girl and can grieve for her.

Spanish police to gain rights of arrest in the U.K.

Detectives from Europe will be able to carry out investigations and even make arrests on British soil as part of specialist squads designed to combat international crime.Members of the European police force Europol – which includes Britain and France – can now form Joint Investigation Teams using officers from each national force.They will include officers from the Metropolitan Police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency and will target criminal gangs. Previously, European police could travel to this country to share intelligence – but could not make arrests. A spokesman for SOCA said: “This is a new step for Britain. It will help us to combat cross-border crime.”But critics are angry that the decision removes Britain’s veto over any future changes to Europol’s powers. Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: “This is the latest shocking failure to stand up for the British national interest in Brussels. “Responsibility for policing and security must remain in the hands of national governments.”Further background information on Europol, and the system of Law under which it will operate - Corpus Juris - may be found in this short House of Lords article:
I might say by way of prefacing my remarks and introducing myself, that I am a British citizen, I have been living in Italy for the last 38 years, and have been studying the area of comparative criminal justice and procedure for the last 25 years, having been published in various papers and journals and spoken from various platforms from time to time. My name has been cited in debates in the Houses of Parliament four times, in particular in January 2003 when Nick Hawkins MP read aloud a 6-page briefing paper I had prepared on aspects of Italian criminal procedure, in Standing Committee, debating the European Arrest Warrant. In April 1997 I was invited as a guest of the European Commission to a seminar in Spain where they unveiled the Corpus Juris project for a single system of criminal justice to be enforced throughout the EU; subsequently I contributed written evidence to the HoL Report on Corpus Juris (9th Report, 1998-99, HL Paper 62—pp 117-119).
The evidence I wish to submit to you is as follows—very briefly:
(1) The new Reform treaty will ensure that criminal justice is eventually brought under the decision-making powers of the central authorities of the EU, and JHA will lose its present status as an exclusively national prerogative.
(2) There are two broadly, and profoundly, different families of systems of criminal justice in Europe today—the inquisitorial system, prevalent throughout the continent of Europe, and the adversarial system, which is in use only in the “island jurisdictions” of the UK, Ireland, and Malta.
(3) One problem we have is that little is known about continental systems of criminal justice. It is an area that has hardly ever been studied. There are no university chairs of comparative law that specialise in comparative criminal procedure, anywhere in the British Isles.
(4) The proceedings during the seminar in Spain and an examination of the Corpus Juris proposal, as well as the demands put forward by Commissioner Franco Frattini last year, show clearly that there is a firm determination on the part of the EU’s central bodies to set up a single system of criminal justice for the whole of the EU, based on the Inquisitorial model. A very recent report says that Signor Frattini wishes to start enacting those parts of the Treaty concerning security and justice even before it has been ratified

Coín’s crime wave

Coín’s Local Police made 70 arrests during the month of April, double the monthly average of 30 to 30 and the largest number in the force’s history. Just under two thirds of the arrests were made in the town itself. The rest were made in Alhaurin el Grance, Guaro, Monda and Tolox, which come under Coín’s jurisdiction. Most of the arrests involved robbery, followed by drug trafficking. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the National Police in Malaga city said firearms were taking over from knives as the weapon most used to commit crimes. He said there had been nine shootouts and more than 20 robberies at gun point since the beginning of the year.

Julian Muñoz and Marisol Yagüe would serve between six months and a year in prison for each crime they are found guilty of, without having to appear

Former GIL party councillors in Marbella who have been charged with corruption or some irregularity regarding town planning permissions in the town have been offered a deal by the Prosecutor’s Office. Under the deal, former mayors Julian Muñoz and Marisol Yagüe would serve between six months and a year in prison for each crime they are found guilty of, without having to appear in court, as well as a ten year ban on holding public office. This deal only applies to those who are charged with granting building licences in Marbella which were outside the Urban Plan, and other associated irregularities such as bribery, misuse of public funds and the illegal collection of monies, among others. If the former GIL councillors do not accept the deal they will face sentences of between six months to two years in jail prison for each charge they are found guilty of. A spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office the measure will save a great deal of human and material resources because more than 60 outstanding cases will not have to be dealt with in court. The downside for the accused is that if they accept the deal, they will be admitting their guilt.

Mari Luz Cortés family set out on a pilgrimage around Spain

family of Mari Luz Cortés set out on a pilgrimage around Spain last week to collect signatures in a campaign to tighten the laws against pederasts. Mari Luz disappeared from her home in Huelva on January 13th when she popped out to buy sweets from a nearby kiosk. Her body appeared 55 days later in a stream and one of the family’s neighbours, Santiago del Valle, a convicted child molester, was arrested. Del Valle had been sentenced to jail two years earlier but for reasons which are currently under investigation, he was never actually put in jail. At the time of the girl’s murder he was reporting once every two weeks to a court in Sevilla. He and his wife disappeared from their home in Huelva shortly after Mari Luz disappeared. Her family had always suspected Del Valle, who is now in jail, and are now undertaking a 5,500 kilometre journey round the country to collect the signatures needed for their campaign to make sure he spends the rest of his life in prison. By the time they arrived in Malaga last week, they had collected more than 20,000 en route from Huelva via Sevilla. They will continue round the coast as far as Barcelona before heading to the northern coastal cities and then inland to Madrid, where they will present their petition to the government.

Spanish land prices are falling in response to the downturn in the property market.

price of urban land in Spain fell by a national average of 2.7% to 277 euros/m2 in the last quarter of 2007 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the ministry of housing. On a quarterly basis, land prices fell by 2.8%. Regional variations in falls were substantial, from as little as 1% in some provinces, to 41% in Leon, 33% in Alicante, 25% in Cordoba, 15% in Barcelona, and 13% in Malaga.Spanish land prices are falling in response to the downturn in the property market. Prices are also being pushed down by the number of developers with liquidity problems who are having to sell land to raise cash.The cost of land represents, on average, 30% of the cost of a new property, though in some areas like Madrid it can be 50% or more. Falling land prices should enable developers to lower their prices, but this will take time to happen, if at all. Developers have an estimated stock of 500,000 unsold newly built properties to sell before the fall in land prices will flow through to property buyers.

Illegal Hotel in Almeria will have to be torn down.

Spanish supreme court has just ruled that hotel built on the El Algorrobico beach in the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park in Almeria is illegal.
The hotel, promoted by a company called Azata del Sol, was the first stage in a plan to build a massive resort including the obligatory golf course plus residential development. In a natural park and on a protected beach it should never have gotten off the ground, but slimy local politicians helped to insure that the hotel was largely built before higher authorities put a stop to the work.
The Supreme Court has ruled the hotel is illegal because it is within 100 metres of the beach, and thus falls foul of the coastal law (ley de costas)

Spanish property market is a disaster, with transactions plummeting by more than 40%

Spanish property market is a disaster, with transactions plummeting by more than 40% during February (compared to February 2007) in key regions such as Catalonia. Despite the fact that newly built properties are selling better than resales, developers are also having a terrible time of it, with sales down by around 60% since September 2007, swelling a growing stock of 500,000 + unsold new properties. On the other hand, prices don’t appear to have collapsed, at least not yet, and there are pockets that aren’t doing too badly, basically in the highly-differentiated, quality segments in good locations. That’s a rough overview of a complex situation in which plenty of exceptions can be found.The most widely used housing market statistics in Spain are the quarterly figures released by the Ministry of Housing.The latest figures, published last week, show that average national property prices rose by 3.8% to 2,101 Euros/m2 over 12 months to the end of March 2008. On a quarterly basis, average prices rose by 0.8% in the first quarter of the year.
In the Spanish press much was made of the fact that property prices have declined in real terms for the first time in a decade. With consumer price inflation running at 4.5% in March, a nominal increase of 3.8% in house prices turns into a fall – after adjusting for inflation – of 0.7%. So thanks to inflation, the average Spanish property is now worth less than it was a year ago. Even so, given the carnage in the market, you would be expecting significant nominal falls about now, as is happening in the US and the UK, not just inflation-adjusted falls. The answer lies in Spain’s dodgy official housing market statistics, more of which later.
As usual, regional variations of property price changes were significant. The biggest 12-month increase was in the Andalucian province of Huelva, on the border with Portugal, part of the Costa de la Luz, where prices increased by 9.5% over the last year, at least according to the government’s figures. Pontevedra, in Galicia, was next best with 7.6%, followed by Asturias, also in the north of Spain, with 7.3%. Madrid, Spain’s capital and biggest housing market, was the weakest, with a nominal gain of just 0.1%, followed by Alicante, home to the Costa Blanca, with 1%.
On a quarterly basis (Q4 2007 vs Q1 2008), prices increased by 3.9% in the province of Huelva, 3.6% in Seville, and 3.4% in Valencia, but fell in 5 provinces / regions: Madrid (-0.1%), Murcia (-0.2%), Tenerife (-0.3%), The Balearics (-0.5%), Cantabria (-0.7%), Alicante (-0.8%), and Castellon (-1.3%).

Two of Spain's respected savings banks, 'La Caixa' in Barcelona and 'Caja Madrid,' were found liable,

A six month trial has led to the conviction of eight people, on charges of fraud and embezzlement in the 'Gescartera' brokerage house, during June 2001. Gescartera was rumbled and lost its licence, when it was discovered that over 100 million euros of some 2,000 clients' money was missing. The collapse caused massive political unrest and the resignations of the Junior Finance Minister and President of Stock market regulator 'CNMV.' Judges passed prison terms of between 3 and 11 years to those concerned, while penalties totalling 88 million euros were ordered to be paid out to investors who lost money, including various churches and charities. Two of Spain's respected savings banks, 'La Caixa' in Barcelona and 'Caja Madrid,' were also found liable, having handled the majority of the fraudulent transactions. Two of their employees were among those convicted. A Parliamentary enquiry overruled any Government responsibility for the operation.

Two men have been arrested in Cadiz in connection with the rape of ten women

Two men have been arrested in Cadiz in connection with the rape of ten women, a crime which an innocent man has already served a ten year sentence for committing. The enquiry was re-opened as new evidence relating to the rapes, which took place between 1995 and 2000, came to light. The man who was originally tried and convicted for the crime was sentenced when one victim claimed to recognise his voice, despite the fact that his DNA did not match evidence gathered at the crime scenes, and the rapes still continued following his arrest! The new suspects are both 53-year old Spaniards from Cadiz, who carried out the attacks on random victims, whilst dressed in full military uniform.

Torrevieja Estate agents aren’t selling anything, developers are going bust, retail sales are falling by 10% to 15%, local business are struggling

According to a recent article in the Spanish press the situation in Torrevieja is deteriorating rapidly. Official unemployment has surged from 1,700 in 2005 to more than 5,000 today. Given that the construction sector employs an army of illegal immigrants, who are the first to lose their jobs, real unemployment is likely to be much higher. Estate agents aren’t selling anything, developers are going bust, retail sales are falling by 10% to 15%, local business are struggling, and taxi drivers report that trade is down by 60% to 70%. Social problems such as crime are growing, and there is litter and graffiti everywhere.What is the local mayor’s solution to the problem? More building, of course. Pedro Ángel Hernández Mateo, of the right of centre PP party, and implicated in corruption scandals, wants more town hall control over planning and building in the municipality. In his opinion, building more urbanisations is the future for Torrevieja’s economy. He has also had a good rant about anyone who has ever criticized over-development in the region, including the EU.Torrevieja, a town hall that relied heavily on building licence fees now has financial problems, as the local tax take falls by 7 million Euros thanks to the property crisis.

Major Alexander Matthew Blake, died on Wednesday when hang gliding in the area of Cenes de la Vega in the Sierra Nevada in Granada

British naval officer, Major Alexander Matthew Blake, died on Wednesday when hang gliding in the area of Cenes de la Vega in the Sierra Nevada in Granada. He was in Andalucía to take part in a military exercise in Málaga, and is said to have lost control during a dangerous aerobatic manoeuvre around 6pm on Wednesday night.EFE news agency reports that the man was attended to by the Guardia Civil and emergency services, but they could do nothing to save his life.The British consul in Granada said she thought the man could be part of the crew of a Navy vessel and had come to the sierras as many do for enjoyment. Club Draco which organises the hang gliding classes the area said they are often visited by members of the British military. Indeed there was another British fatality in the area some ten years ago.
The dead man had visited the area many times before and had posted a message on the internet shortly before he died, saying how much he loved the sport.
His body has been transferred to Málaga from where the repatriation will be carried out by the British military.The Guardia Civil have meanwhile opened an investigation.

Family of a 5-year-old Mari Luz Cortes who was murdered this year have begun a protest trip across Spain to press for life sentences for paedophiles

Family of a 5-year-old Mari Luz Cortes who was murdered this year have begun a protest trip across Spain to press for life sentences for paedophile killers.
Mari Luz Cortes vanished on January 13 as she walked home from a sweet shop in Huelva, southern Spain. Her decomposed body, still dressed in the clothes she wore that day, was found on a river-bank near her home two months later.The man suspected of killing Mari Luz, a convicted paedophile, was only free at the time of her death because of a judicial mix-up.Despite assurances by the Socialist government to consider introducing a sex offenders register, Mari Luz's uncle and grandfather are collecting signatures from around Spain to force parliament to debate tougher sentences and public lists of paedophiles."The government does nothing. There's no strong and firm justice," Francisco Valentin Cortes, Mari Luz's uncle, told Reuters ahead of his 5500km journey."Here in Spain, paedophile murderers don't go to prison and if they do, they are there for 10 years. We want them to get life in prison."
Under Spanish law, no person convicted of a non-terrorist offence can be imprisoned for more than 30 years, and that sentence is often halved for good behaviour.
Cortes said the 45-day trip taking in 32 cities aims to gather 3 million signatures, though 500,000 would be enough to force parliament to hold a debate addressing their demands.Mari Luz's case has been linked to the disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann who went missing just across the border in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz a year ago on Saturday.Mari Luz's family, who are Roma, have called the trip a new `drom', which means `road' in Roma language.The chief suspect was arrested for murder on March 26.The judge who failed to take into account a previous conviction and therefore did not jail him, could be dismissed, Spanish media have reported.

Right now, Catral is infamous for its illegal houses

Over the past decade, developers built about 100,000 illegal homes in Spain, and consumer advocates say thousands of those are now threatened with demolition as regional governments try to deter clandestine construction. The crusade may discourage the foreign buyers who fueled Spain's housing boom, deepening a slump that began last year. Leo Levett-Smith and his wife, Jean, thought they did everything right when they bought their retirement home in Spain. They used a registered real estate agent, a Spanish notary and obtained their mortgage through one of then country's largest savings banks. Then in January they received a demolition order saying the house had been built without a permit. ``We really believed we had taken all the necessary precautions,'' says Levett-Smith, a 65-year-old retired traffic policeman from Cheshire, England, as he sits on the porch of the russet-colored villa in Catral, 42 kilometers (26 miles) southwest of Alicante. ``I mean, where else have you heard of this happening?'' ``The problem is very serious,'' says Rafael Pampillon, an economics professor at the Instituto Empresa in Madrid. ``When a country has a system or set of institutions that allow illegal houses to be built and corruption to exist then evidently foreign investment is going to flee.'' At least one house has already been bulldozed. In January, Len and Helen Prior lost their three-bedroom villa in Almeria. The 63-year-olds from Berkshire, England, paid 350,000 pounds ($694,155) for the house in 2003. Each of Spain's 8,111 town halls has the authority to make planning decisions and issue building permits with little oversight from the regional or national governments. As property prices soared, some local officials were drawn into schemes to profit from new home construction. The former head of urban planning in Marbella has been charged with money laundering and accepting bribes to issue building permits. When Juan Antonio Roca was arrested in March 2006, police seized 2.4 billion euros ($3.8 billion) of assets, including two hotels, sports cars and 103 horses. Roca denies any wrongdoing. ``When everyone is making money, for example the real estate agent, the town hall and the administration, everyone turns a blind eye,'' says Bernardo del Rosal, former ombudsman for the Valencia region. ``The system as a whole fails and the law is worthless when that happens.'' The local governments with the largest concentration of new housing, including Valencia, Alicante and Marbella, declined to say how many homes may be destroyed in their communities. Andres Lara, a spokesman for Spain's Housing Ministry, and officials at each of the 17 regional governments referred questions to the municipalities. Government officials won't provide figures because it puts them in an ``abysmal light,'' says Bernardo Hernandez Bataller, a Spanish lawyer and president of a European Union committee that advises on financial services and consumer protection. ``It's safe to say the demolition orders could run into thousands,'' Bataller says. Home prices almost doubled in the eight years through 2006, as buyers took advantage of a booming economy, stable employment and low borrowing costs. About 2 million foreigners own property in the country, according to Ciudadanos Europeos, which works to protect the interests of Europeans in Spain. Spanish residential property prices fell in real terms for the first in more than a decade during the first quarter, as interest rates rose and banks tightened lending because of the global credit shortage. The number of foreigners and non-residents buying homes in Spain fell 42 percent last year, according to the Housing Ministry. Their share of total transactions dipped to 9.5 percent from 12 percent. The slowdown in the housing market, which represents 9 percent of gross domestic product, is rippling through the economy. GDP will expand 1.8 percent in 2008, less than half last year's pace, and unemployment will rise for the first time in more than a decade, the International Monetary Fund says. ``The bad press and examples of corruption have done nothing to help raise the confidence of international investors,'' says Miguel Martin Rabadan, general director of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Spain. The Levett-Smith's story is a parable for how exuberance and greed drove corruption in the Spanish housing market. The couple moved to Spain seven years ago, initially settling in a village near Torrevieja on the Mediterranean coast. When the area became too crowded, they decided to move inland.
In 2005, the Levett-Smiths bought their three-bedroom house in Catral, paying 220,000 euros to Country Life Properties SL. The property is one of the 1,270 homes in the community that were built with insufficient permits issued during the 12 years that Jose Manuel Rodríguez Leal was the town's mayor. Some 160 homes in Catral have been served with demolition orders. Among the companies that built the homes was Grufade SL, a developer registered in the name of Maria Angeles Rodriguez Leal, the former mayor's sister, according to a complaint filed by the European Association for the Protection of Urban Consumers. Grufade's sales rose to 1.7 million euros in 2006 from 3,900 euros two years earlier, according to filings at Alicante's mercantile register. Rodriguez Leal resigned in January 2007, and his party was defeated in local elections the following May. A court in Alicante is investigating corruption charges against Rodriguez Leal. According to newspaper 20minutos.es there are 93 similar investigations in Spain. Leal Rodriguez denies any wrongdoing. He says the blame lies with his brother-in-law, a builder by trade.
``Permits to build sheds and shelters were authorized, but when I realized they were being used to build houses I tried to stop them,'' Leal Rodriguez says. ``But they wouldn't, and I was powerless.'' Maria Angeles Rodriguez Leal and her husband declined to comment, according to a woman who answered the phone at Grufade's offices in Catral. The Levett-Smiths tried to avoid the pitfalls of Spain's property market by hiring a Spanish notary to oversee their transaction, getting a 130,000-euro mortgage from Spanish savings bank Caja de Ahorros del Mediterraneo, and paying 300 euros for an independent survey. No one informed the couple that the building permits were illegal, the Levett-Smiths say. Antonio Bellido, Catral's new urban planning counselor, is trying to stop the bulldozers. He has proposed charging owners of illegal homes 5 euros per square meter to have their houses legalized. That could raise 15 million euros for Catral based on Bellido's estimate that the illegal houses occupy 3 million square meters of land.
``Right now, Catral is infamous for its illegal houses,'' Bellido says. If the regional government approves the plan, ``Catral will become famous for being the town in Spain that found a solution to a mighty problem.''
If the Levett-Smiths lose their home they'll have to return to the U.K. and live with their daughter. ``No one in their right mind would give us a mortgage at our age to start again,'' says Leo Levett-Smith.