Prosecutors investigate more than 1,000 corruption cases in Malaga Province in six years

COURTS in Malaga Province investigated more than a thousand cases of corruption in six years, according to new data from prosecutors.

Figures from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, part of the State Attorney General’s Office, showed 1,013 probes were launched from 2012 to 2017.

Corruption cases peaked at 239 in 2013 and numbered 149 in 2017. The lowest amount of investigations was 114 in 2012.

Juan Carlos Lopez Caballero, the Chief Prosecutor in Malaga Province, said support from police and prosecutors from different areas and specialist backgrounds helped to handle “complex” cases.

Anti-Corruption authorities said more protection was needed for whistleblowers to ensure more corruption cases could be reported without fear of reprisals.

The figures come as the UN and the Transparency International NGO have both called on Spain to improve rules for investigating corruption.