Costa de Almería
Mayor's wife charged in El Ejido corruption swoop
By m.p. - Oct 22, 2009 - 1:07 PM
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A police officer outside El Ejido Town Hall - EFE
The wife of the municipal auditor was meanwhile granted bail of 90,000 Euro
The Mayor of El Ejido, Juan Enciso, remained in police cells on Thursday following his arrest with 19 other suspects in the ‘Operation Poniente’ corruption investigation this Tuesday and, it’s understood, will be questioned by the judge on Friday. Ideal newspaper said the municipal auditor, José Alemán, will likely be in court that same day.
The auditor’s wife, Isabel Carrasco, works in the tax department at El Ejido Town Hall and was one of those questioned by the investigating judge, Montserrat Peña, on Wednesday, who issued bail of 90,000 €. Carrasco was remanded to custody ahead of the money being paid.
The Mayor’s wife, Francisca Aguilera, was also before the judge on Wednesday, and was released with the charges of money laundering, misappropriation of public funds and falsifying commercial documents. She must report back to the court every two weeks and has had her passport withheld.
Two other women were charged with the same crimes: the Mayor’s daughter, María Encarnación Enciso, and the auditor’s sister-in-law, Rosalía Gil.
The corruption case, which saw the Town Hall building in El Ejido being searched on Tuesday, is investigating some 150 million € believed to have been misappropriated through the municipal services company, El Sur, and a network of 12 companies over a period of six years.