The Public Prosecutor is accusing the mayor of Tolox, Juan Vera, of 23 counts of crimes against urban planning relating to the granting of illegal building licenses. It is alleged that the mayor issued licenses for the construction of 2,000 houses during the period 2004 to 2006 whilst aware that the land was not available for development.
The cases are to be heard separately and the mayor faces sentences of between one and two years in prison on each count plus disqualification from holding public office for a period of ten years. In some of the cases, the municipal architect and the legal adviser will also be sitting in the dock.