Alan Sugar's purchase of parts of the Byblos Hotel under investigation by Marbella Court

Alan Sugar's purchase of parts of the Byblos Hotel under investigation by Marbella Court
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By h.b. - Jul 28, 2010 - 12:39 PM
The British businessman paid three million € for two parts of the hotel a year ago

Alan Sugar - Photo Wikipedia

Sir Alan Sugar is under investigation by a Marbella judge in connection with the allegedly fraudulent purchase of two buildings of the Byblos Hotel in Mijas, according to a report in El País.

The hotel closed down at the end of May, but a year ago the British businessman was awarded the tennis club and the spa of the hotel complex at public auction for three million €.

Daniel Sugar, Alan Sugar’s son, representing the Amsprop Spain S.L. company offered 682,052 € for one plot and 818,462 € for a second, corresponding to the thalassotherapy area and the tennis courts.

Instruction Court 1 in Marbella has opened an investigation to see if there was fraud in Sugar’s bid, which was the only one presented to the auction, which had been deserted on three previous occasions.

El País reports that also implicated in the investigation is the lawyer, Luis Juega, from the Díaz-Bastein y Truan Abogados, who also represent Sean Connery, and who are also under investigation in the ‘Goldfinger’ case in which the Scottish actor is implicated.

The Byblos case come about following a legal complaint placed by a Belgian businessman who was also going to bid at the auction, and who had arranged finance and guarantees needed with the Bank of Scotland, the bank which the owners of the hotel, the Aifos group, used to purchase the hotel in 2006. Aifos lost ownership for failing to meet mortgage payments to the bank.

The Belgian businessman complains that the lawyer used privileged information from him to asses Sir Alan Sugar and to ensure that the Briton was successful. He claims the lawyer presented a series of obstacles to stop his appearance at the auction, even allegedly managing to influence the Bank of Scotland to withdraw their backing of the Belgian and to withdraw a previously arranged guarantee for eight million €.

It was the Bank of Scotland who told the Belgian what had happened, not thinking that his own lawyer would be acting against him, and that is where the alleged fraud lies.
El País says the lawyer, Luis Juega, faces charges of professional disloyalty, revealing of secrets, fraud and fraudulent administration.

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