Main Malaya suspect in Marbella gives evidence in another corruption investigation

Main Malaya suspect in Marbella gives evidence in another corruption investigation
larger | smaller
By m.p. - Feb 25, 2008 - 6:30 PM

Juan Antonio Roca. Archive photo - EFE.

Juan Antonio Roca gave evidence in a San Javier court in the Operation Ninette investigation in Los Alcázares

Juan Antonio Roca, the man at the centre of the Malaya corruption investigation in Marbella, Málaga province, was in Murcia on Monday, where he was called to give evidence in another corruption investigation – Operation Ninette. It relates to alleged crimes of money laundering, fiscal fraud and bribery in Los Alcázares and came about from investigations in Málaga with links Juan Antonio Roca has in the Murcia Region, where he is from. It is now being treated as a separate proceeding from the Marbella case.

The former real estate assessor to Marbella Town Hall arrived at the court in San Javier under escort from prison in Granada province, and called to court with him was Montserrat Corulla, the Catalan lawyer who is considered to have been one of the main fronts for Roca.

There has been no information on what was said in court, but La Verdad newspaper notes investments made by Roca in Los Alcázares, which they say was always either via other parties or through companies, and also mentions planning agreements made between these companies and the Town Hall. The man who was Mayor at the time was the Socialist, Juan Escudero, released on 60,000 € bail last month following his arrest in Ninette. The ex municipal secretary, Diego Sánchez Gómez, was also granted bail.

Another suspect arrested in the case is the ex municipal architect, Mariano Ayuso, who the paper said is believed to have acted as a front for Roca and allegedly received 300,000 € from him. He and his brother, Juan Ignacio, were both refused bail, as were the two businessmen, Valero and Francisco José Garcerán.

One of Roca’s many properties in Spain was the target of a robbery last week, a chalet he owns on the coast in Cala d’Or on Mallorca, which was sealed off by police some time ago. The Mallorca newspaper, Última Hora, reports that officers arrested a woman who they saw leaving the house with valuable paintings, mirrors and candelabras, and discovered many other valuable items which she had already loaded into her car.

Click here for related stories

mobile |

email this article | print

printer friendly page

More Spain News : Costa Cálida

Readers' comments:
Please keep to the subject. Opinions published here are of our visitors, not the Typically Spanish team. Comments which go against Spanish laws or which are libellous are not allowed. We reserve the right to delete any comment we wish. Placing a comment indicates you have read our terms and conditions and privacy policy.

Por favor, céntrate en el tema. Son las opiniones de los internautas, y no las de Typically Spanish. No está permitido verter comentarios contrarios a las leyes españolas o injuriantes. Reservado el derecho a eliminar los comentarios que consideremos fuera de tema. Escribir un comentario indica que has leído nuestros condiciones de uso y politica de privacidad.