SPAIN: The mayor of Marbella and 18 of her close associates were arrested yesterday, accused of bribery, corruption and misuse of public funds.
In an operation codenamed "Operation Malaya", police raided the home of Mayor Marisol Yague and that of long-time head of town planning Juan Antonio Roca. They cleared the town hall before removing dozens of boxes of paper and computer files. The offices of the local police - who are also municipal employees - were also raided and searched for incriminating evidence.
Mrs Yague, a former nightclub singer; Mr Roca, alleged to be the brains behind the corruption ring; and many of the others under detention are accused of receiving valuable gifts of money, jewellery, luxury cars and art works in exchange for issuing building licences and rezoning areas that had been previously designated for gardens, parks and public use.
Marbella, one of the favoured Costa del Sol haunts of the new rich and the jet set - it also had the unfortunate nickname of "Costa del Crime" after a number of international crooks set up homes there - has long had the reputation for corrupt practices and uncontrolled illegal construction.
So serious had the scandals become that last November the Junta de Andalucia, the autonomous regional government, removed town and municipal planning privileges from Mrs Yague and the town hall.
The two previous mayors were both detained on corruption charges and banned from holding public office under court orders. The late Jesús Gil y Gil, the flamboyant president of Atlético Madrid football club, whose funds he is alleged to have used as his personal bank account, was jailed twice during his 11 years in office. His successor Julian Muñoz was also detained and removed from office. Now Mrs Yague has followed in their footsteps.
"Operation Malaya" is being conducted by the same Malaga judge who last year broke up a €75 million money-laundering operation on the Costa del Sol, including Marbella. Operation "White Whale", as it was code-named, is continuing.