Andalucía
Only suspect in worst fire ever suffered in Andalucía claims new witnesses
By m.p.
Mar 6, 2008 - 7:09 PM

The only suspect in the devastating fire which began in Los Cantos in Minas de Riotinto, Huelva province, killing two people and destroying close to 30,000 hectares before it was extinguished in the summer of 2004, brought new evidence in questioning by the investigating judge on Wednesday.

The newspaper Huelva Información reports that Emilio Perdigón Panduro was called to court in the final phase of instruction in the case. He spoke of two witnesses, a married couple previously unknown to the investigation, who he said saw another person near the third seat of the fire, in an area close to Los Cantos. He supplied the court with the names of all three people concerned.

He also referred, the paper said, to a man who he claims was threatened to implicate him with the Civil Guard as the person who started the fire, and that this un-named man was later sacked from his job.

Perdigón faces charges of negligent homicide and is said to have claimed as he left court on Wednesday that he only heard about the witnesses four months ago and was waiting until he was called in for questioning to reveal the information. He was arrested on 8th August 2004, and released with charges the following month.