Costa Cálida
IU calls on Totana ex Mayor to give up his parliamentary immunity
By m.p.
Nov 28, 2007 - 7:55 PM

As investigations continue in Totana, where more than two million hectares of rustic land was reclassified to allow a project for a massive golf urbanisation to go ahead, the municipal spokesman for Izquierda Unida has called on the ex Partido Popular Mayor, Juan Morales, to resign his seat in the regional parliament. Two of those considered as suspects in the case are the former Mayor’s ex wife, and his current girlfriend.

Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, the IU spokesman, Juan José Canovas, said Morales should either resign, or renounce his parliamentary immunity from prosecution. There has been no confirmation, however, that Juan Morales, who owns a legal assessor’s office in Totana, is implicated in the alleged corruption, where bribery and money laundering are under investigation.

Cánovas also noted that the current Partido Popular Mayor, José Martínez, and the planning councillor, Juan Carrión, were both on the government committee which approved the agreement under investigation. It relates to a project from the Galician company, Nuaria, to build 5,000 homes, a golf course and a hotel in the Raiguero area: the company director was one of the six people taken into custody on Monday.