Whereas the Mayor received good news from the legal system of the Hotel Bahía case, he received some decidedly negative news concerning his verbal slip during a plenary meeting of the Town Hall: the Public Prosecutor is recommending a 21,600-euro fine for the Mayor for having allegedly called the then socialist opposition leader, Rocio Palacios, a ‘Zorra,’ (bitch/slut/vixen). He is also recommending that the Juan Carlos Benavides further pay 10,000 euros in moral compensation to Sra. Palacios
It was precisely this incident that provoked his break with the Partido Andalucista and his transfer, complete with ten of his PA councillors, to the Convergencia Andaluza.
The controversial verbal exchange, which will be heard in court on the 2nd of December, took place on the 31st of January 2006 during a plenary meeting of the town council.
After Sra. Palacios had finished her turn to speak, the Mayor allegedly made a reference to the female councillor’s personal life, implying that she had reached her position thanks to an affair with the party Provincial Secretary, Francisco Álvarez de la Chica:
“Certain political careers, with their origin in transfuguismo (party turn coat), can only be understood through an intimate relationships between the Provincial Secretary and the affected one,” were the actual words of the Mayor. Furthermore, whilst Sra Palacios had the floor he interrupted her with the word, ‘zorra.’
Consequently, Rocío Palacios asked for the comments to be recorded in the minutes of the meeting, so that she could lodge a judicial complaint against the Mayor. The Public Prosecutor considers that as the insults were made in a public meeting with the press present the accusations concerning the personal lives of Sra Palacios and Sr Álvarez had serious consequences in the family lives of both.