An ex-chairman of the Urbanización Capistrano Playa de Nerja, (2006 to 2009) is serving time after being handed down a 4-year prison sentence for fraud, as part of a plea bargain with the Public Prosecutor and private prosecution (Comunidad de Vecinos de Capistrano Playa). The 52-year-old Brit was accused of carrying out ‘fraudulent manoeuvres to obtain money dishonestly from community funds.’

The deal was reached principally to avoid a court hearing that was to be held on the 6th and 7th of March. The ex-Chairman, whose initials are M.P.T., was arrested by the Guardia Civil in May 2009 and has languished in prison since then.

According to the Public Prosecutor, M.P.T. obtained several cheques as payment for work to be carried out, but never handed the funds over. Furthermore, he received community fees from the residents of the urbanización, as well as payments for the maintenance costs of apartments, which were not paid into the community coffers, or, in other instances, issued cheques without funds.

Lastly, he is barred from holding administrative posts involving assets for four years, as well as having to pay all the legal costs…

(News: Nerja, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia