Court shelves the case against former mayor

FORMER Torrox Mayor and winning candidate in Sunday’s elections, Francisco Muñoz, has seen the urban corruption case against him dropped. The Supreme Court of Andalucia (TSJA) has absolved Muñoz of town planning corruption charges which could have resulted in him receiving a four and a half year prison sentence and 25 year ban from holding public office.

The original complaint was lodged by two political parties (IU and PIU) in 2006, and involved nine councillors and former councillors of the PSOE, PA and PP parties.

The court found that “approving a project despite there being an unfavourable report by the Junta de Andalucia does not constitute a legal breach of planning, therefore neither does it constitute corruption.”

The rulling also rejected any illegitimate motive to support the alleged favouritism toward one of the councillors.

“With this ruling the TSJA puts an end to the persecution we socialists in Torrox have suffered for the past six years by the IU and their minions,” said Muñoz.