Zurgena: Mayor faces 7 years of disqualification and prison

[Dionysus]

Bob,
As far as the questions you have raised go, to get an answer, you will have pose them on councilor Simpson's blog, as he claims, he does not read the forums, but I think he has a "snout" who reports directly to him!

If the previous responses are anything to go by and which have been recorded elsewhere, councilor Simpson, when the question of illegal properties within the municipality of Zurgena has been raised, has reported that the mayor has said there are none!

Personally, I cannot answer for Jim Simpson's state of mind, when it comes to the matter of illegal properties but, at no time do I, nor did I, ever get the impression that he believed any problems ever existed.

Maura, thank you for confirming that this article in La Voz, was not a rehash, but in fact was an update on the legal process taking place.

[Maura_Hillen]

It is in the text of the press article (see first post) as' Barranco de Los Pinos' and' Cortijo Zurano .

[lmj52]

barranco de los pinos maybe??

[Coogan]

I'm not sure what houses we are talking about and I live in Zurgena.  Can anyone give an exact location please?

[unclebob]

Dionysus
I do not live in Zurgena, but have followed the situation there for many years, even to the point of trying to persuade Jim Simpson that there WAS a problem.
Quite frankly, if the Mayor is found guilty of fraud or whatever he is charged with, and this impacts on the owners who bought in good faith, then they should lock him up and mislay the key for a considerable time.
What I am more concerned about is the impact or affect that the court case will have on the owners of these (52 apparently) houses. We have seen in the past that the judicial system is quite capable of ignoring logic and fairness, and focussing totally on legality (Cantoria as the most recent example).
Is Mr Simpson declaring that whatever the outcome of the court case, house owners and their houses involved will not suffer 'collateral damage'?
Equally, what is his position on other houses in Zurgena. Previously declared as without a problem?

[Maura_Hillen]

The reports certainly repeat the facts of the charges facing the mayor and several others since 2008.

However, the new information is that the investigative courts in Heurcal-Overa have finished their deliberations, decided that there is a case to answer and a trial date has been set in the courts in Almeria in March 2011.

This particular case involves 52 houses and other cases are pending.

[Dionysus]

According to the Jim Simpson blog, this article is nothing more than a rehash of earlier reports, although I have to say that my memory of what was said in those earlier reports, is somewhat sketchy, so, I don't know if this is a rehash or not.

[unclebob]

Dionysus
A prolific smoker!!!!!!!!!
One wonders where he blows the smoke?

[Dionysus]

No need to look for a response, at the time of writing this, there wasn't one!

I know what the response would be anyway, without looking.

Councilor Simpson would finally get a meeting with the mayor, at which, the pending court case would be discussed. This would entail a long explanation, during which the mayor would smoke a considerable number of cigarettes, proclaim he was unconcerned and there was nothing to worry about as they had won all previous cases against them and there were no legality issues!

Of course, this will be of little comfort to those who do not have the required infrastructure, have incorrect paperwork, or no paperwork at all!

[enjay]

It hasn't moved on the old blog address because on the 3rd September he posted that he had to unfortunately change to this new address because Vox was ceasing. As this was the only news on the blog that day, I'm surprised you missed it.

http://jimszurgena.blogspot.com

[unclebob]

I went on to Jim Simpsons blog to look for a response, but the blog has not 'moved' since September 3rd!

[Maura_Hillen]

The prosecutor will ask for the demolition of buildings authorized by the mayor of Zurgena at the hearing in March 2011

http://www.elalmeria.es/article/almeria/838595/solicitan/siete/anos/inhabilitacion/y/carcel/para/candido/trabalon.html

The PA mayor of Zurgena , Candido  Trabalon, is facing a request by the prosecution for seven years of disqualification from public office, and six months in prison because he is accused of authorizing, through the concession of building licenses and plenary agreements, the  construction of  41 houses on 'suelo no urbanizable' knowing that it constituted an unlawful act according to the law. The Zurgena Councilman has accumulated a total of 12 open criminal proceedings, including those deriving from the operation known as Costurero which ended in 2007 with his arrest. The instructing judge in this case ordered the initiation of summary proceedings a year and a half ago against him and 24 others,among them some other members of the corporation, for alleged planning crimes, bribery and false documentation.

Trabalon will face the bench  in  Criminal Court No. 2 in Almeria in March 2011 together with the Town Planner, Manuel Tijeras (PA), former mayor and PA party members Emilia Jimenez, Aniceto López and Miguel Marín Ramos (who in 2007 ran in the municipal elections under the banner of PP), former Socialist councilors Juan Morales and José Antonio Ramos, and the PP party member José Juan Sánchez. The prosecutor is requesting in documentation seen by  Europa Press, the same penalty for all of them, as well as for municipal technician Salvador Francisco Granados as alleged authors of the crime of corruption. There is also a request to pay a fine for 24 months at 12 euros per day.  The Public Prosecutor is demanding 2 years in prison and disqualification for the same time period from any profession or trade related to construction for Isidoro Garcia and Francisca Muñoz identified as heads of the business identified as the promoter of these houses. In addition they are asked to pay fines of 24 to 30 euros per day. As stated in the indictment, the commercial managers of the Promoters 'La Cañaícas SL ', based in Albox, promoted and built in 2006 a total of 53 houses in localities of Zurgena known as' Barranco de Los Pinos' and' Cortijo Zurano 'on "suelo no urbanizable." Twelve of these buildings did not have a municipal building license and were not "authorized." The 41 remaining properties, according to the prosecutor, were built with "knowledge that the land was not developable" and with a municipal building license.