By David Eade – Costa del Sol News
The former mayor of Ronda, Antonio Marín, and his ex councillor of public works, José Herrera, will be called again before the local court to answer charges they broke the town planning laws by giving permission for a building to be constructed in the Hoya del Tajo.
The court is now at the stage of oral hearings ahead of a full trial being ordered if the judge finds “indications of criminality” as has been suggested in judicial reports.
The added spice in the case is that the former Partido Andalucista mayor Antonio Marín (now the spokesperson for PSOE on the council) was in coalition at the time with the Partido Popular and José Herrera is of the PP. PSOE were ousted at the last election and now Ronda is governed by a PP-PA coalition so revenge is on the cards.
The case dates back to 2006 when Ecoligistas en Acción discovered an agricultural building had been constructed illegally in the Hoya del Tajo, an area that enjoys environmental protection. The environmentalists notified the Policía Autonómica who carried out an investigation and sent a report to the prosecutor who brought court proceedings.
When Marín was called to give evidence he insisted he had no responsibility for the building as the matter was in the hands of his councillor for public works José Herrera who had insisted it was legal.
Of course it clearly isn’t and both Marín and Herrera will now face a full trial. Also in the dock will be the owner of the building but he insists that he only proceeded because he was assured it was legal and the town hall had issued the licences.
RONDA’S FOUR YEAR AUDIT
On taking control of Ronda town hall the Partido Popular – Partido Andalucista coalition announced that the municipality was bankrupt. It has ordered an external audit to determine where the money has gone. The investigation will be solely on the previous four years when Antonio Marín was mayor.
First he governed with his Partido Andalucista councillors in a coalition with the PP then when he broke that pact, he and all his PA councillors quit the party and become non-aligned whilst forming a coalition with PSOE. Both Marín and his former PA councillors then became members of the socialist party and he was their candidate for mayor in May.
At a council meeting held last Thursday night whilst approving the audit the proposal put forward by Marín for its to cover the past three legislatures was roundly rejected. Both the PP and PA had included in their election manifestos a promise of an audit and they insist that pledge is now being honoured.
Both the mayor Maripaz Fernández (PP) and her deputy Isabel Barriga (PA) have spoken of the town hall’s finances being in ruin. In addition they have accused Marín and the socialists of “ill fated economic management” over a three year period and have referred the accounts to the State auditing body.
MUSICAL HOME
A recent session of Ronda council decided that when the Giner de los Rios College is returned to the town hall’s ownership it will be used as the future home of the Municipal Music School. Councillors were very keen the building should be reserved for educational uses and it will also be home to the municipal band. The move was opposed by PSOE.
EROSKI GO
Málaga’s commission for town planning which falls under the Andalucía ministry of public works - housing has given its approval for the lands of Ronda’s old fair ground to be given over to commercial use. The site is adjacent to the former football ground which means that all the land required for the Eroski commercial centre has now been freed by the regional government.
FUNDING LOST
PIAGRO, which represents the agriculture sector in the Ronda area has issued a statement condemning the poor management of the previous council led by Antonio Marín. The Andalucía ministry of agriculture had offered a subvention of 250,000 euros to repair rural roads severely damaged by the heavy rains. However the cash has been lost because of numerous errors in the town hall’s application.
ECO WINE
The Andalucía government is very keen to boost the production of ecological wines. The Málaga delegate for this sector, Mónica Bermúdez, has allocated 380,000 euros for Thalassa Taller de Vino in Ronda as its contribution to the 1.4 million euro project to establish an ecological bodega at the finca Corchero. Thalassa is made up of local, Spanish and overseas businesses committed to eco-wines.
NEW ACCESS
The regional government projects to create two new access points in to Ronda may be frozen till next year because of lack of funds but work is underway to create a new southern roundabout to serve the San Rafael –San Jorge quarters. It is due to be completed in six months and is being funded by the town hall with an ICO loan.
SUPPORT PLEDGE
The Andalucía minister of culture, Paulino Plata, has written to the mayors of Ronda and Antequera to reiterate his ministry’s support for the candidacy of both towns for UNESCO World Hertitage status. Ronda is basing its candidacy on its natural beauty, the famous Tajo gorge and its bridges. However Ronda has ruled out a joint application with Antequera and will go it alone.
ROBBED CUEVAS
The mayor and councillors of Cuevas del Becerro have threatened to lock themselves in the town hall unless the 380,000 euros taken by the former municipal secretary – accountant is repaid. The theft was denounced in 2009 and in May 2010 the former employee was ordered by the court to pay 400,000 euros. This has not been done nor have his assets been embargoed.
POSTER ROW
Atajate is furious with the nearby village of Montejaque. Atajate held a competition for its fair poster using Tuenti and Facebook with the Sevilla artist Raúl Castellano beating 29 entrants. However the poster for Montejaque’s fair is virtually identical with just the names changes. In its defence Montejaque says its poster was a year in the making and used images from the internet.
SAGE ADVICE
An interesting initiative in Ronda where past mayors since democracy was declared in Spain have been formed in to a council of wise men. Last week the PP mayor Maripaz Fernández met with Juan Harrillo, Juan Fraile, Juan Benítez and José Herrera for the first of these encounters. The idea is they meet quarterly to give advice and suggestions to the current administration.
