This has become probably the most-used headline in the Gazette, as no matter how many cases are brought against the Ex-Mayor of Almuñécar, Juan Carlos Benavides, he’s always acquitted.

This trial was the last in the pipeline, so Juan Carlos is home and dry and able to present his candidature for the Municipal Elections in May.

Had he been found guilty, he would have been sentenced to 2.5-years’ suspension.

This time he had been accused by the Junta de Andalucía of willfully dragging his feet when required to provide requested documents, or in the words of the Public Prosecutor, “a systematic lack of collaboration.” He had been accused by the Regional Ombudsman of exactly the same, but he was acquitted on that occasion, too.

The case was centred around “irregularities” surrounding the erection of a gasoline station under the stands of football stadium. It’s a long story, but basically the judge esteemed that it had not been proven that the Mayor received notification from the Junta, nor that he had given instructions to ignore them.

Editorial comment: You can say what you like about Benny, but Almuñécar would be pretty boring without him. Furthermore, if somebody were to ask me whether he will win the next election, I’d limit my reply to: “Well, actually, he won the last one.”

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)