The Mayor of Granada was arrested, charged and released pending trial this morning, Wednesday the 13th, over accusations of urban-development fraud.
Mayor José Torres Hurtado faces charges over urban-development issues; publicly owned land, having its building restrictions lifted and being sold off for private use in exchange for money under the table.
Early this morning the police anti-corruption unit, UDEF, made a surprise visit to the City Hall, carrying out an extensive search in the Urban Development Department, confiscating material, whilst colleagues carried out simultaneous searches of The Mayor’s home, as well as the one belonging to the Councillor for Urban Development, Isabel Nieto.
The police also raided the premises of businesses suspected of being involved. All told 17 politicians and business owners are being investigated, accused of belonging to a corruption circle between the top officials at the City Hall and local business owners.
Not only did green-belt land have its environmental-protection removed illegally so that it could be built upon, but reportedly, certain private entities were tipped off ahead of time of the changes so that they could be snapped up cheaply.
The police began their investigation some while back, looking into suspected dodgy dealing back in 2006 over green-belt land that ended up being used for a privately owned ice-skating rink and a disco.
Finally, it appears that one of the companies that benefited from this allegedly illegal dealing has links with the Mayor, himself.
An immediate consequence has been that the Mayor’s party, who governs in the city thanks to a coalition arrangement with Ciudadanos, now finds itself with a partner and the Mayor himself facing a no-confidence vote.
At present there is a gagging order on the case, so not much more information is available for the moment.
Editorial comment: the fact that the Mayor belongs to the governing party of the nation, which is apparently riddled with corruption from one side of the country to the other, doesn’t help their chances if there should be a rerun of the General Election.
In fact, so sensitive is the ruling conservative party of the looming fall out, they have suspended the Mayor’s membership with the party.
(News: Metropolitan Area, Granada, Andalucia)