By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 01 Feb 2017 • 11:50
Carmen Marin during her trial in 2016.
THE head of an animal welfare centre convicted of cruelty by killing hundreds of healthy cats and dogs, is to face new criminal charges.
Carmen Marin is accused of fraud and misusing public funds.
Tens of thousands of euros from the city of Torremolinos were designed to subsidise the costs of looking after the animals.
Instead they were used for stays in luxury hotels, two of them in Boston, USA, and St Petersburg, Russia, it is claimed.
Money was diverted from the Animal Park’s accounts to pay for driving lessons, gym membership and the installation of a private security system at her home.
Between 2008 and 2011 Marin spent more than €11,000 in restaurants.
Nearly €105,000 was allegedly spent not on the animal centre but on redecorating the business premises owned by a member of her family.
A Citroen car worth nearly €15,000 was bought by Marin for a family member using public funds.
The claims are contained in papers submitted to a judge by the city’s legal chiefs.
The judge is also to investigate whether family members may have committed crimes including fraud and money laundering.
Marin was convicted in December of involvement in the death of thousands of animals, so-called ‘extermination sessions,’ designed to free up more space and therefore attract more council funding.
The court heard she had also taken part in the deliberate misrepresentation of documents in relation to the numbers of animals incinerated.
Marin was sentenced to four years in jail but is free pending an appeal.
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I am… appalled!
The woman should be in jail even if she is appealing her guilty verdict. She is clearly a criminal: not only murdering innocent and defenseless animals, but also diverting funds that were handed in good faith by the community. She is a criminal. No more, no less. Jail is where she belongs. We should punish criminals hard.
They showed no mercy for these poor abused animals so please punish them accordingly. Just imagine the pain these poor creatures went through. Finding themselves in rescue you would expect them to be loved and cared for. I am absolutely heartbroken ???
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