From typicallyspanish.com

Costa de Almería
Mayor of Zurgena arrested for allowing a thousand illegal properties to be built
By h.b.
Apr 3, 2008 - 6:35 PM

The Partido Andalucista Mayor of Zurgena, Cándido Trabalón, has been arrested for allowing the illegal construction of a thousand homes in this small Almeria village with a population of less than 3,000 people. He and the town planning councillor, Manuel Tijeras, face charges of perversion of the course of justice and bribery.

Also detained is the real estate promoter from the company New Horizon Villas, specialists in the British market, Antonio López Ramos.

Investigations into the case started in October 2006 and continue open. Searches were carried on Wednesday in the Zurgena Town Hall and in the offices of four real estate promoters in Zurgena, Albox, Alboleas and Huércal-Overa, together with an architect’s office in Almería and several private homes.

The prosecutor believes that irregularities were carried out in the Town Hall process to award four licences to companies which carried out six local real estate promotions.