Costa del Sol
Juan Antonio Roca tells El Mundo that he only lent the Marbella councillors the money he gave them
By h.b.
Apr 21, 2008 - 7:37 PM

The man at the centre of the Malaya corruption case in Marbella, the ex Municipal Real Estate Assessor, Juan Antonio Roca, who was controversially released on 1 million € bail last week, has given an interview to the El Mundo newspaper.

He told the paper that he became the cashier and money collector for the Town Hall, and claimed that he did not have any of the money which had been stolen from the town. He said that he did not give any money to the local councillors as had been claimed, but merely lent it to them. He said it was up to the Municipal Treasurer to say what had happened to the missing 10 billion pesetas – some 60 million €.

After two years in prison on remand, Roca has had plenty of time to reflect on his future which now sees more than 50 judicial procedures on the horizon. His current freedom has come at a price – 1 million € bail in the Malaya case and 450,000 in the saqueo case. He also told the paper that he was considering reclaiming his work post at the Town Hall.

Meanwhile the instruction judge in the Malaya case, Óscar Pérez, has asked the police money laundering unit to investigate where Roca has obtained his bail money.