Mark Lewis, a councillor in San Fulgencio on the Costa Brava, has ended up as mayor of the town, population 8,000, after all those above him in the pecking order were arrested on corruption charges.
Mark Lewis, who moved to Spain 25 years ago, was until very recently the Councillor for animals, responsible for cats, dogs and other little critters, but it all began to change after the deputy mayor, Manuel Barrera Garcia, was caught on video allegedly taking a €5,000 bribe to help promote the development of a hotel, golf course and casino.
On Wednesday, the Socialist mayor Trinidad Martinez, and councillors Juan Antonio Gamuz, Juan Antonio Gonzalez Palenca, Mariano Marti and Fina Reme were arrested as the corruption probe widened. The Local Police chief Bernardo Cortijo and the town hall’s lawyer, Juan Antonio Ramos Calabria, have also been detained.
That left just Mark Lewis and another expat, Mick Blake, as the only ones not under arrest and therefore, as fourth deputy mayor, he was duly put in charge.
The population of the town of Fulgencio is 80% foreign, mostly British. All the British live in the La Marina development, some three miles from the centre of San Fulgencio, an area which has been described as a British ghetto with bars like EastEnders and Dreams serving all day English breakfasts and British beers.
Mr Lewis and Mr Blake were elected to the town hall last year after helping form the AIM party with Manuel Barrera Garcia, winning three seats and promising to end corruption and to improve representation for San Fulgencio’s 8,000 foreigners. Anti-corruption proponent Manuel Barrera García was the first to be arrested!