GibCosta

All the papers go their own ways today with a host of different front page stories

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The motive given is defaulting on bank loans for which the nephew is guarantor

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Ex Mayor of Marbella, Julián Muñoz, has told the La Opinión de Málaga newspaper that he is very happy and also surprised to be granted the third grade in prison. This means he will only have to sleep in jail and will also be allowed home at weekends. He tells the paper that he is now in better health, and has been taking advantage of the prison gymnasium at Alhaurín de la Torre.

There are nearly 100 other real estate irregularity cases against him, but a pact he has signed with the Prosecutors’ Office means that his time, three years in prison, will not be increased. As he was arrested on July 19, 2006, by next summer Muñoz should be a completely free man.

Now the gossip TV programmes will note whether he spends his days with Isabel Pantoja at her home in Marbella. On his previous prison permissions he has been staying at ‘Mi Gitana’.

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The construction slowdown in Spain has now hit the works to redevelop the port area in Málaga. Construction of a new leisure centre and other facilities has been at a standstill for the past 20 days, following the financial problems faced by the Tiferca construction company which won the tender for the work on dock two.

The Junta de Andalucía is now reported to be looking at issuing fines because of the delays on the work which should have been completed by Spring next year, and looking for an alternative.

Málaga City Hall is also closely watching two other building works on the city won by the same company.

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The judge investigating the Astapa corruption case in Estepona has charged the cousin of the ex Mayor Antonio Barientos, Carlos Barientos, with bribery and money laundering.

The ex Mayor has already been held on remand in prison for four months. His cousin Carlos told the judge on Tuesday about several municipal decisions in which alleged payments of backhanders are under investigation.

The current councillor for beaches, Miguel Navarro, has now also been charged with perversion of the course of justice in the case.

Statements were also taken from two local businessmen, Aurelio Martin Simón, President of Costa del Sol Hipermercardos, who manages a Carrefour store in the town and who is promoting a new commercial centre, touted to be the largest in Spain.

Owner of the Publiluna company, Francisco Antonio Navarro, also now faces charges of perversion of the course of justice and money laundering.

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Diario Sur reports today that the main topic of conversation in Nerja currently is the number of flies.

They are right, with local supermarkets running dry of fly spray and experts saying that even more flies are about to arrive from the North of Africa, attracted by the recent storms and warm temperatures.

The newspaper asks several insect experts as to whether the invasion could be linked to climate change, but their opinions are divided.

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Mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, has reached agreement with the Junta de Andalucía to regularise another 200 properties in the town which were constructed illegally during the time of the GIL administration.

It takes the number of outstanding illegal properties in Marbella down to 500, and the move has been criticised by local Socialist Javier de Luis, who told El País that the measure ‘clearly benefits the promoters’ who took advantage of the lack of control in the GIL period.

One of the developments now to be declared legal is the Jardines del Principe on the Golden Mile which is 40% over the legally built amount and the construction of which had blocked the sea views of neighbouring properties which had previously won a court order for partial demolition. Now the development can stay in exchange for the promoter giving the ground floor of the building to the Town Hall.

A similar situation is in the Jardines de la Costa, 61 homes in San Pedro Alcántara, where the promoter, José María Enriquez, implicated in the Malaya corruption case. The construction of this development was only completed during the time of the present Mayor.

Also to be legalised is the third phase of the La Cañada commercial centre where another deal has been reached with the promoter, Tomas Olivo.

The courts still have to decide whether some 60 properties face demolition when the new PGOU Urban plan is approved.

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Just days after being granted the ‘third grade’ prison permission which will allow the ex Mayor of Marbella, Julián Muñoz, to spend weekends at home, news comes that he now faces new charges with ten other ex councillors for granting an illegal building licence in April 1999.

However, under the plea deal already established with Muñoz, the ex Mayor has already served three years in prison for all his urban crimes, and so the new case is academic for him.

The beneficiary of the illegal licence was the promoter, Ávila Rojas who built seven six-story buildings in Nueva Andalucía on land established in the PGOU Urban Plan as being for sports facilities.

In provisional conclusions the Málaga Prosecutors’ Office is calling for nine month or one year jail sentences for Muñoz and the councillors in the case.

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The Associated Press

Experts trying to decipher ancient language The Associated Press Almost all were scattered across southern Portugal, though a handful turned up in the neighboring Spanish region of Andalucia. Some of the letters look like squiggles. Others are like crossed sticks. One resembles the number four and another recalls a …

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Speedy construction work leads to soggy problems for investors in … Fly to let, UK Managing Director of Andalucia-based Pipetek, Jim Fraser, explains: “The massive building boom in Spain has seen some builders rush to complete developments. This has been a problem in some new-builds for years, but until recently it was poor finishing …

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