By David Eade – Costa del Sol News
Last Thursday the Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, announced that his government is putting at the disposal of Libya’s interim government, the National Transitional Council, 16 million euros for humanitarian aid and also 18 tonnes of medications.
Government sources said the 16 million euros was an advance on the Libyan States assets held in Spain which would be returned when the UN authorises it.
One of the prize assets that the Libyan dictator holds in Spain is an estate in Benahavís valued at around 45 million euros. One of Gadafi’s sons also has an account in Spain with half a million euros. In addition Aresbank is owned by Gadafi’s regime and has assets of 300 million euros including deposits owned by private individuals. The activities of the Spanish oil company Repsol in Libya remain blocked for the time being.
Back on March 2 the Spanish government blocked the town planning projects Gadafi has had in this country since 1969. There exists an estate of 7,200 hectares in Málaga province that is owned in the name of the Libyan Foreign Bank and Banco Exterior Libio but which are in effect State owned. The land covers five municipalities: Benahavís, Estepona, Igualeja, Júzcar and Pujerra.
The largest part is in Benahavís with 3,500 hectares where the Spanish representative of the Libyan bank requested planning permission in 2007 but has never followed up the development project. The plans were for a hotel, golf course and 1,915 homes spread over 1,915 hectares.
The initial request for planning permission was denied by Benahavís town hall as according to the 1993 local development plan part of the land is zoned for urban use but the proposals put forward would have amounted to over building on the area designated.
Since then the Libyan bank has authorised 60 kms of fencing to be placed around the entire estate of 7,200 hectares. The main entrance to La Resiner as the estate is known has two notices one saying it is private property and the other a hunting zone.
WOMAN RESCUED
At 8.45 on Friday a 29-year-old woman skidded in her Peugeot 206 60 metres at km 21 on the A-374 Ronda to Sevilla road. The vehicle went off the road and down a rocky slope towards a dry river bed. The Ronda fire brigade had to free her from the car then carry her to safety on a stretcher to receive medical attention.
MERINOS ROW
Merinos golf development currently on hold is controversial enough but now Ronda has been arguing over what to do with the latest 700,000 euros payment. The previous PSOE administration had allocated the funds to development projects, now the PP and PA governing team, backed by the IU, say it will be used to pay salaries and social security instead to the socialist’s ire.
HORROR CRASH
Three people were killed at 4.45 last Wednesday when their BMW crashed against roadside works with the impact splitting the vehicle in two with one woman being decapitated. The tragedy happened on the normally safe A-371 between Villamartín and Las Cabezas de San Juan. The man was from Las Cabezas and two women were Moroccan: one of the women was resident in Ronda.
DEPUTY FIRED
Cortes de la Frontera PA mayor Antonio Granero, has fired his PA deputy Antonio Guerrero Márquez plus an IU councillor Manuel Carasco Ríos. Granero says his deputy signed two contracts one favouring his son in the mayor’s name without authority. The councillor is accused of being implicated in the signing although he says he was assured it was authorised. Guardia Civil are investigating.
CHESTNUT DAYS
The Serranía de Ronda village of Júzcar depends in a large part for its financial viability on the annual chestnut harvest which provides many families with their incomes. On September 9 – 11 Júzcar’s holding a conference on the development of the chestnut industry in a biosphere reserve. Many national and international experts are taking part and full information is on the website http://www.castanardelgenal.com/
