The judge at Instruction Court No. 1 in Estepona has, this Wednesday, called another 21 people to declare as suspects in the Astapa corruption investigation centred around Estepona Town Hall.
No names have yet been released, but it’s understood from Europa Press that the crimes under investigation are misappropriation, perversion of the course of justice, bribery and falsifying documents.
It brings the number of suspects in the case up to 94.
The case broke in June 2009 with a police swoop on the Town Hall and the arrest of 25 suspects, including the town’s then-Socialist Mayor, Antonio Barrientos. The complaint which led to their arrests was presented by the Socialist councillors Cristina Rodríguez and David Valadez.
Valadez then took over the Mayor’s office and remained in power until recently, after the May 22 local election this year brought a change of government and the Partido Popular was voted in at the Town Hall.
