Appeal lodged
Rincón de la Victoria has appealed a court
ruling which ordered it to pay €1.2 million
to a property developer. The case relates
to an agreement dating from 2004
between the developer and the town hall
over land which was not reclassified as
promised. After two hearings in Málaga,
the case has now reached the High Court.
Trafficking gang
Several people were reported detained in
northern Spain last month as an
investigation into the trafficking of women
continued. Guardia Civil officers raided
several properties in Bilbao and elsewhere
in an on-going operation in which further
arrests are expected. The target is a
criminal gang also believed to be
operating in Santander, Murcia, Almeria
and Madrid
Devolving power
Madrid is reported to be ready to discuss
greater fiscal autonomy for Cataluña,
similar to that already enjoyed by the
Basque Country and Navarre. This would
give the Catalan regional parliament the
power to collect and manage its own taxes,
and to decide how much to contribute to
defence and foreign policy. Central
government, however, remains firmly
opposed to any future referendum on
independence.
Car fire
A driver received cuts and burns when his
car caught fire in Torremolinos last
month. Witnesses told police they saw
smoke coming from the vehicle in the Los
Alamos district before hearing an
explosion. The driver, who was suffering
from dizziness, was taken to the Hospital
Clinico Universitario in Málaga for
treatment to his face and neck injuries.
Taxes frozen
Alhaurin de la Torre is to freeze its local
taxes for the sixth consecutive year. Mayor
Joaquín Villanova said last month that the
move indicates that the municipality is
enjoying, “excellent financial health.” The
2018 budget of €43.6 million includes €8
million earmarked for investment which,
the mayor added, guarantees that public
services will grow “constantly.”
Animal cruelty
Police in Asturias are searching for a group
of hill walkers who threw a wild boar into
a ravine, and videoed themselves doing it.
The recording of the incident in the
Parque de Picos de Europa appeared on
Twitter, prompting Guardia Civil
investigators to appeal to the public for
help to identify the individuals. They now
face possible animal cruelty charges.
Vélez mayor dismisses
Auditors report
The mayor of Vélez-Málaga has
dismissed a scathing report from the
Court of Auditors which concluded
that there are not sufficient reasons to
support the reopening of the tramway
between Vélez and Torre del Mar. Last
month, Antonio Moreno, reaffirmed
his intention to return the public
transport system to operation,
following its closure in June 2012.
The president of the Court of Auditors,
Ramón Álvarez de Miranda, says there
will be an investigation into everything
that happened between the system’s
suspension until now, because, “the
losses are substantial.”
Sr Moreno has countered by pointing
out that the facts covered in the Court’s
report, “occurred at a stage where none
of the current government team held a
position in the corporation.”
He also stated that the Court’s report
noted only five alleged irregularities, a
total which was reduced to three on
appeal. According to the town hall
these include a discrepancy in the
payment in settlement o