Former Marbella council bosses quizzed over planning vote

Former councillors and officials at Marbella town hall have been appearing before an investigating judge this week to explain their role in the approval of the towns master plan (PGOU) in 2009. Public prosecutors have complained that 22 last-minute changes to the PGOU plan were slipped through before a full council vote on the document and allege that councillors werent aware of what they were voting for.

The case centres on changes by the coordinating architect after the planning committee signed off the document. These included a change whereby a piece of land classified as in Marbella was moved to being part of neighbouring Benahavís. Marbella mayor at the time, Ángeles Muñoz, had property on that land.

Under investigation are the former municipal vice-secretary and the former planning councillor. The ex-mayor cannot be called as she is now a senator and so can only be questioned by Supreme Court judges.

Witnesses appearing said the last-minute boundary change was ordered by the Junta de Andalucía.

Ironically, the disputed plan was eventually overturned by the Junta for different legal reasons.